Chennai, Jan 11 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday
announced that seven Special Courts exclusively to try sexual assault and
sexual abuse cases against women would be set up in the State.
Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address
in the first Assembly session of the New Year, he said the Special Courts would
be set up at Madurai, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Salem, Trichy, Chennai and its
neighbouring areas to exclusively try cases pertaining to sexual abuses
against women.
The Government's move to create exclusive Special Courts comes in the backdrop
of alleged sexual assault incident of a girl student at the State-run Anna University,
which has sparked a public outrage, and the sexual assault incident at Annanagar
in the city, involving a minor girl, in which a Woman police Inspector and an Opposition
AIADMK functionary were arrested and placed under suspension for intimidating
and threatening the parents of the victim'.
In his long and detailed reply, Mr Stalin also announced setting up of district-wise
Special Units headed by Additional Superintendents of Police to expedite trial in
cases relating to crimes against women.
Mr Stalin also announced that that Tamil Nadu Prison rules would be suitably
amended to prevent remission for convicts serving prison term upon conviction
in sexual-related crimes
The Special Courts, which would ensure deliver speedy Justice to the affected
victims, was being set up a day after Mr Stalin introduced two Bills in the State
Assembly seeking to provide stringent punishment for crimes against women.
Mr Stalin said provisions of penalty was made more stringent in the BNS and
BNSS Acts in their applicability to the state.
Assuring the House that the DMK government was committed to empower women
and ensure their safety, he said to enhance the quantum of punishments for crimes
against women and children in the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), it was necessary
that certain provisions pertaining to the Bhartiya Nyay Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS)
had to be made more stringent.
Hence, amendments to the two Central Acts had been introduced, he said.
The other Bill was to amend the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women
Act, 1998, enlarging the scope of the principal Act to effectively deal with digital
and electronic harassment, besides stalking with stringent penalties.
As per the proposed amendments, punishment for rape might extend up to a life
term and for acid attacks it is 10 years RI. While it is 5 years RI for stalking, capital
punishment is for repeat offenders of rape.
MORE UNI GV 1520