BJP seeks capital punishment for Sakinaka rape accused
What's the story
The BJP on Saturday sought capital punishment for the accused involved in Mumbai's Sakinaka rape and assault case and also hit out at the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government over the issue of women's safety.
A 34-year-old woman was allegedly raped inside a stationary tempo parked by the roadside in Sakinaka early on Friday.
Assault
The case should be tried in fast-track court: Fadnavis
The accused, a 45-year-old man, who has been arrested, had assaulted the victim in her private parts with an iron rod. The woman died at Mumbai's Rajawadi Hospital in the early hours of Saturday.
Leader of Opposition in state Legislative Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis, said, "The Sakinaka woman rape case should be tried in fast-track court so that the accused gets punishment at the earliest."
Judiciary
The culprit should be hanged to death: Fadnavis
"Maharashtra Chief Minister (Uddhav Thackeray) should meet the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and request him to hold the trial in the case in a fast-track court," he said.
"I know that awarding a sentence is in the hands of the judiciary. But I feel the culprit in the Sakinaka rape should be hanged to death," he said.
Quote
'Sakinaka incident was an unfortunate reminder of Delhi rape case'
"The Sakinaka incident was an unfortunate reminder of the 2012 Delhi rape case," he said, adding that attacks on women were a matter of concern. Asked about the proposed Shakti Act, he said, "Existing laws are sufficient to take tough actions against the culprits."
Incident
Pravin Darekar blamed the state government for the incident
"It is the willpower of the state to take tough decisions and follow it up till the logical end," he said.
Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Council, Pravin Darekar, blamed the state government for the incident.
"It is horrible to know the kind of pain that she had to go through. The state needs to take some action," he said.
Rape cases
Several rape incidents have occurred in Maharashtra: Darekar
"If BJP says anything on this, then it might be alleged that we are politicizing the issue of crimes against women, but the number of such incidents are self-explanatory," Darekar said.
"Several such incidents have occurred in different parts of Maharashtra. In some cases, minor girls were raped, but the state government does not seem to be serious about it," he said.
New law
New act on lines of SC/ST Atrocities Act needed: Wagh
State BJP vice-president Chitra Wagh called for the formulation of a new act on the lines of the SC/ST Atrocities Act so that the culprits involved in atrocities against women do not get bail easily.
"There are experts, lawyers, and state judiciary department who need to come up with better measures that would work as deterrents," she said.