Aparajita Bill: Bengal Governor Halts Aparajita Bill Providing Death Penalty for Rape Convicts

West Bengal Governor Anand Bose has criticized the Mamata Banerjee government for the delay in the Aparajita Bill, stating that the bill remains pending because the government did not send the necessary technical report. Without this report, the bill cannot be approved. In a statement released on September 5, the Raj Bhavan expressed dissatisfaction with the Mamata government’s handling of the bill, particularly since it pertains to women’s issues. This is not the first time the Mamata government has faced such issues. Previously, the government has failed to send technical reports for several bills passed in the assembly, resulting in delays. The government often shifts the blame to the Raj Bhavan for these setbacks. On September 3, following protests over the rape and murder of a female doctor at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, the state government presented an anti-rape bill in the West Bengal Assembly. The bill mandates that the police must complete investigations into rape cases within 21 days. After passing in the assembly, the bill was sent to the governor and, if approved, will be forwarded to the President to become law. Governor Anand Bose has also criticized the Mamata government for presenting the bill as a mere imitation of similar bills from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Arunachal Pradesh. He accused the government of participating in protests to mislead the public while critical bills remain pending at the presidential level.