The Union government informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that an inter-ministerial consultation for the Andhra Pradesh Disha (Special Courts for Specified Offences against Women and Children) Bill, 2020, had been initiated and based on the inputs, the Bill would be processed further.
The Bill paves the way for awarding the death penalty for rape and gang rape and expediting the verdicts in trials of such cases to 21 days.
Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy informed the House that the Bill reserved by the Governor had been received in January 2021 for the assent of the President of India.
“As per practice, bills received from States for assent of President are processed in consultation with the nodal ministries/departments. Accordingly, the consultation process with various ministries/departments concerned with Andhra Pradesh Disha (Special Courts for specified offences against women and children) Bill, 2020 has been initiated. Based on their inputs, Bill will be processed further,” the Minister said in a written reply.
The reply added that the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2018, prescribed timelines for investigation and trial in respect of rape cases.
