Amid widespread protests at Badlapur railway station on Tuesday over the sexual assault of two children by a male school attendant, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray spoke about the Shakti Bill. He claimed that he would have passed it himself if his government had not been overthrown by rebels.
Thackeray emphasized that it is now up to those who took over his government to pass the Shakti Bill and take strict action.
What Happened?
Last week, two kindergarten girls at a Badlapur school were sexually assaulted by a male attendant. The girls told their parents, who then filed an FIR.
Since this morning, hundreds of parents from the school have been protesting at Badlapur railway station, demanding severe punishment for the accused. The protest has caused disruptions to suburban train services.
Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar stated that the principal, class teacher, and two assistants from the school have been suspended. He noted that the incident occurred between August 13 and August 16, but the complaint was not filed until August 18. The local police station did not act on it for 8-12 hours.
What is the Shakti Bill?
In 2023, the Maharashtra Assembly passed the Shakti Criminal Laws (Maharashtra Amendment) Act, making Maharashtra the second Indian state after Andhra Pradesh to support the death penalty for severe cases of rape and gangrape.
The Bill introduced changes to laws related to rape, gangrape, acid attacks, sexual harassment under the Indian Penal Code, and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.