Maharashtra Passes Bill To Incorporate Shakti Act Provisions Into BNS
While tabling the Bill in the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Fadnavis said the Shakti Act had earlier been passed unanimously by the state and sent to the Centre for assent: Reports
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Legislature on Wednesday passed a Bill to amend the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), incorporating stringent provisions from the proposed Shakti Act to strengthen safeguards against crimes targeting women.
Introduced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Bill seeks to enhance legal protections by prohibiting disclosure of the identities of acid attack victims and penalising harassment through phone calls, social media, obscene digital communication, and the unauthorised sharing of women’s photos or videos.
While tabling the Bill in the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Fadnavis said the Shakti Act had earlier been passed unanimously by the state and sent to the Centre for assent. However, the Union government subsequently informed the state that it was introducing the BNS, incorporating most provisions of the Shakti Act.
The state government then constituted a committee under the Director General of Police (DGP) to examine both laws and identify provisions not included in the BNS. “The DGP submitted a report stating that only two sections of the Shakti Act were not incorporated in the BNS. As a result, we have proposed a state amendment to include both sections,” Mr. Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, said.
The Chief Minister added that, under the amendment, the identity of acid attack victims would be protected in the same manner as that of rape victims. The Bill notes that Section 72 of the BNS penalises disclosure of the identity of victims of certain sexual offences but does not cover acid attack victims, despite Section 124 addressing grievous hurt caused by acid. The amendment seeks to extend identity protection to such victims.
It further states that Section 75, which defines sexual harassment, does not adequately cover offences committed through email, social media, or other digital modes, including offensive communication and threats to disseminate photographs, audio, or video files.
Mr. Fadnavis said the proposed amendments would be sent to the Centre for assent.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav and NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad urged the government to consider provisions to protect men from harassment.
Responding to the concerns, Mr. Fadnavis said the government would examine the suggestions and assess whether the law was being misused. “We will bring equity to the law,” he said, adding that any misuse or “weaponisation” of the legislation would not be allowed.
