The Maharashtra Assembly unanimously approved a bill introduced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to amend the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on Wednesday. This amendment effectively merges the stringent measures of the Shakti Act into the new national criminal code, incorporating two key provisions. The amendments focus on protecting the identities of acid attack victims and penalizing harassment through various digital mediums.
CM Fadnavis highlighted that most of the Shakti Act’s provisions were already part of the BNS. The state proposed two amendments based on a report from the Maharashtra Director General of Police. The first amendment ensures the non-disclosure of names and identities of victims of rape, molestation, and related crimes under the BNS.
The second provision prohibits the disclosure of any identifiable information about acid attack victims. This measure aims to shield survivors from social stigma and potential retaliation during legal proceedings. Additionally, the bill addresses the harassment of women via phone, social media, and similar platforms, subjecting offenders to penalties equivalent to those for rape and molestation.
The amendment was necessary due to technical delays in obtaining Presidential assent for the original Shakti Bill (2020), which was linked to the now-repealed IPC and CrPC. By directly amending the BNS, the Maharashtra government has updated the legal framework to meet constitutional standards while upholding the initial vision of robust victim protection.
