In the wake of rise in crimes against women in the country, experts from various fields Tuesday demanded stringent laws for curbing atrocities against women.
Speaking at a US Consulate-organised panel discussion on combating domestic violence, West Bengal Women's Rights Commission chairperson Sunanda Mukherjee said the accused often use loopholes in the respective laws to get away.
"While the cases involving domestic violence and dowry have gone up, the conviction rate is dismally low. This is because the laws are not holistic and the accused often use loopholes to get away," said Mukherjee.
She also demanded a specific law governing and regulating sale of acid to prevent cases of acid throwing which have been increasing.
"While the courts have laid down guidelines restricting sale of acid, there is a need for a separate law governing its sale. If there is a law prescribing strict punishment, then cases of acid attacks can be prevented," added Mukherjee.
Calcutta High Court advocate and former director of state public prosecution Taj Mohammad also seconded Mukherjee's views and said offences related to molestation, eve-teasing, etc should be made non-bailable.
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Speaking on the occasion, Austin Police Department (Texas, the US) Chief Art Acevedo stressed on the importance of prosecution in cases involving crime against women.
"As much as the police's role in arresting culprits, the prosecution's role is equally important. It's imperative the prosecution presents a watertight case so accused may not use any loophole in the law and get away," Acevedo said.