Kolkata, July 26 (IANS) West Bengal Governor, C.V. Ananda Bose on Saturday brought an end to the confusion over contradictory information regarding sending back of Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill — meant for harshest of punishment for accused in cases of rape and rape and murder — to the state government for reconsideration.
Earlier, an information regarding this was passed on to the media on Friday by a section of the insiders in Raj Bhavan. It was claimed that the Governor has sent the Bill back to the state government for reconsideration following serious objections raised by the Union Government.
However, confusion started surfacing over the development, since none in the state or within the ruling Trinamool Congress were agreeing to accept that the said Bill has been referred back to the state government for reconsideration.
On Saturday evening, while interacting with the media persons at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, the Governor brought an end to the confusion, saying that he had to send back the Bill back to the state government for reconsideration following serious objections raised by the Union Government.
“There are three options for the government when a Bill is sent from the Assembly secretariat for the Governor’s assent. The first is that the Governor could give assent to that Bill, which I have done in several cases. The second option is that the Governor can send the Bill back to the assembly authorities, raising queries and suggesting changes. But in that case, if the assembly resends the bill to the Governor without making any change, the Governor has no other option but to give assent to the Bill,” Bose said.
He added that the third option for the Governor was to send the Bill for consideration of the Office of the Indian President, which he did in case of the Aparajita Bill.
“Now, the Union government has some queries about certain provisions in the Aparajita Bill, and so it has been sent back to the state government for reconsideration,” the Governor added.
The Bill was passed on the floor of the West Bengal assembly last year amid the ghastly tape and murder of a lady junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata within the hospital premises.
Subsequently, the office of the West Bengal Governor forwarded the Bill to the office of President Droupadi Murmu for the latter’s consideration. Now, with information surfacing about the Bill being sent back to the state government for reconsideration, uncertainties have started surfacing over the fate of the Bill.
The said Bill has provisions for completion of investigation in such cases in 21 days and filing of chargesheets within 30 days. In the Bill, there are provisions for quick completion of the trial process in the matter, as well as some proposed additions in the provisions under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act.
–IANS
src/pgh
