Thaindian News

Lucknow, June 21 (IANS) Stung by the spate of rape cases across Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Mayawati Tuesday sought amendments to laws to ensure speedy rape trials and stricter provisions for giving bail to accused.

“In view of the recent incidents of rape and other crimes against women, my government has decided to bring in certain important amendments in the criminal procedure code (CrPC),” Mayawati told reporters at a hurriedly-convened press conference here.

“I propose to amend section 437 and 439 of the CrPC to ensure that trial is completed within six months and that the offence of rape is made non-bailable,” she said.

“Necessary provision will also be made to ensure that an accused does not get bail until he can prove his innocence,” she said.

Condemning the sudden rise in the number of rape cases in the state, she said: “Not only is there a need to make rape a non-bailable offence, it is also important to make suitable amendments to ensure that all rape cases are disposed within six months.”

“We are already in the process of preparing a draft for an ordinance that would soon be sent to the governor, so that we could bring this amendment without any delay,” she said.

She is understood to have taken an approval of her cabinet on the proposed ordinance earlier in the day.

“Stricter laws will definitely prevent blatant indulgence in these kind of heinous crimes against women as also deter anti-social elements from tormenting women,” she said.

Giving out a list of cases where punitive action was taken against lax police officials who caused delay in registering cases or initiating action against named culprits, the chief minister said: “We have not spared anybody who was prima facie found guilty of laxity in handling cases of rape or other related crimes against women.”

Hitting out at the opposition for flaying her government on account of the recent rape incidents, she declared: “There is no ‘jungle raj’ in Uttar Pradesh and citing the recent cases of rape to give the state such a label was a motivated exercise.”

She cited reports from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and said: “The percentage of crime against women in proportion to Uttar Pradesh’s population was far less than most Congress and BJP-ruled states.”

“As against a rate of 11.9 percent in Uttar Pradesh, crimes against women were of the order of 30.7 percent in Andhra Pradesh, 21.2 in Haryana, 26.2 in Rajasthan, 23.1 in Delhi, 13.9 in Himachal Pradesh and 22.2 in Madhya Pradesh,” she said.

“When it comes to dealing with crime, I have always believed in rising above party lines. That is the reason I have never hesitated in ordering the most stringent action against those found guilty of wrong even if they belong to my own party,” she said.

“I would appeal to all opposition parties to rise above party lines and give up playing politics in the name of serious and sensitive issues like crimes against women,” the chief minister said.