Maharashtra Assembly passes Shakti Bill

Tags: State News

• The Maharashtra Assembly has  unanimously cleared the Shakti Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020, on crimes against women and children.
• The Shakti Bill amends the  Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC), and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act) in their application to Maharashtra.  It amends these laws for offences committed against women and children to curb sexual crimes committed against them.
• The legislation recommends capital punishment in rape cases, a time limit of 30 days to complete the probe from the day of registering the complaint, and places the onus on social media platforms and Internet data providing companies to share data for the police investigation.

NOTE 

• Criminal law, including matters covered by the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) falls under the Concurrent List of the Constitution.  It means both the center and the state make law  on criminal law