The Chhattisgarh Assembly today passed the Penal Code (Chhattisgarh Amendment) Bill 2013, seeking more stringent punishment for sexual crimes, including circulation of obscene MMS and SMS.
While elaborating the provisions of the bill, Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar said, "Women now go out to work and to educational institutions. Therefore, it necessary to ensure a safe environment, so that they don't face stalking, sexual assault, physical assault and other kinds of attacks."
Provisions have been made in the bill for amendment of old sections and incorporating new sections, he said.
Through the amendment, the minimum punishment under these sections has been increased to ensure that those indulging in crime against women are punished severely.
The perspective of crime against women has been expanded through the amendment wherein eve-teasing, vulgar SMS, MMS and e-mails, etc all have been included with increase in punishments.
Provisions have been made in this regard for increasing the existing punishments from six months to two years.
Sexual harassment of women by their relatives could attract imprisonment of anywhere between two to seven years.
There are stringent provisions to punish people who are in-charge of any place where a crime has been committed, and could have stopped the crime from being committed or reported it to the authorities, but didn't do so.
The minister also said that his government is committed towards ensuring the security and safety of women in the state.
