The New Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2003 has been approved by the Rajya Sabha Today. Lok Sabha has already passed the Bill. With this new law coming into effect, several new rules have become operational.
The bill provides for minimum imprisonment of 20 years which may be extended to a sentence of death if the victim dies in the commission of crime or is reduced to a persistent vegetative state.
Acts like disrobing of women, voyeurism stalking, trafficking and sexual exploitation of the persons and minors will now be new offences in Indian Penal Code.
Acid attack has also been recognized as a serious crime against women for the first time in history.
Provisions have also been made for compensation, medical treatment and related issue, providing for minimum punishment in grave cases, and removing judicial discretion in others would help in plugging loopholes in the existing system