Andhra Pradesh Assembly passes Disha Bill to expedite trials in rape and gangrape cases, sentence such convicts to death

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Friday passed a Bill to further amend the Indian Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure that will enable expeditious investigation and trial of offences against women and children, especially sexual offences, and award of the death penalty.

File image of women at a protest against rape. PTI

The proposed new law has been named the Andhra Pradesh Disha Act Criminal Law (AP Amendment) Act, 2019, as a tribute to the veterinary doctor raped and murdered recently in neighbouring Telangana.

State Home Minister M Sucharita moved the Bill in the Assembly, which the ruling YSR Congress called "revolutionary." The new law mandates completion of the investigation into cases of sexual offences within seven working days from the time of record and the trial within 14 working days from the date of filing the charge sheet.

The appeal against the sentence passed under the new law has to be disposed off within six months. Three new sections 354E, 354F and 354G will be added to the IPC that define harassment of women, sexual assault on children and aggravated sexual assault on children respectively.

Sections 376 (rape), 376D (intercourse by any member of the management or staff of a hospital with any woman in that hospital) and 376DA (gang rape on woman under 16 years) will be amended to include the death penalty for offences listed under sections dealing with assault, sexual harassment and rape such as 354F, 354G, 376, 376A, 376AB, 376D, 376DA, 376DB or 376E of the IPC.

The Assembly also passed another Bill that provides for constitution of exclusive special courts for speedy trial of specified offences against women and children. The proposed new legislation will enable setting up of one or more exclusive special courts in each district for expeditious trial of specified offences against women and children.

It will also empower the state government to constitute a special police team, headed by a deputy superintendent of police-ranked official, to investigate the specified offences.