Longer jail term for molesters

he state has proposed to increase the prison term for offenders booked in cases of molestation, outraging modesty of women or insulting

them by using abusive language, messages, signs or printing material with intention of blackmailing and for those caught for rash and negligent driving. The proposal to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was tabled and approved in the state cabinet meeting held in Mantralaya on Thursday.

But the government has showed its velvet gloves, also proposing to make some sections offences on which a compromise can be reached between the offender and the complainant. These include Sections 147 (rioting punishable with two years jail and/or fine), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon; the punishment in this case is up to three years and/or fine) and 506 (A) (criminal intimidation, punishable with two years jail and/or fine).

"Ordinances for these proposals will have to be promulgated. If there's no Ordinance, then the Bills have to be introduced in the coming Assembly session to be held in Nagpur (winter session),'' law & judiciary principal secretary M N Gillani said. But the amendments would require President Pratibha Patil's consent, he added.

One of the important recommendations involves Section 354 that deals with outraging the modesty of women; the government has suggested increasing the existing punishment from two years to three. Another proposal concerns Section 509 that deals with insulting women by using abusive language, messages, hand signs; it has been proposed that these attract a punishment of one year or fine or both. The state has also proposed to make Section 292 a non-cognisable offence; this deals with printing of material with intention of blackmailing. It has been recommended that the punishment for this be two years of imprisonment or fine or both.

The government has taken a cue from the Alistair Pereira case as well. The Bandra boy was booked under Section 304(A) in the hit-and-run case. The state has now proposed to increase the punishment for this from two to five years if there is a death because of rash and negligent driving. For Section 279 (rash and negligence driving), too, the government has suggested increasing the prison term from six months to one year; the state has proposed the fine be made unlimited from the existing Rs 1000.