The Government today ruled out bringing a legislation that seeks death penalty for heinous crimes like rape but said existing laws may be made more stringent to check crimes against women. ‘‘There are 38 legislations to prevent crimes against women,’’ said Minister of State for Human Resource Development Jaskaur Meena, in reply to a private member’s Bill. ‘‘We don’t need a new legislation. But some of the laws may be made more stringent to deter crime,’’ she said referring to a clamouring call from members for the extreme penalty.The Bill was moved by Bimba Raikar (Congress), and was aptly titled, The Women and Girl (Prevention of Stripping, Teasing, and Branding of Witches and Offering as Devdasis) Bill, 2003. The member highlighted the inhuman and outrageous crime of parading women naked in public, teasing, molestation, outraging modesty and killing them as witches, apart from offering them as devadasis. Raikar asked for strictest punishment for such offences and making them cognizable and non-bailable.The Minister, however, said states like Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand had already enacted laws for preventing branding women as witches while Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have laws against the devadasi tradition.‘‘The existing laws are enough,’’ she said. ‘‘What we need is to sensitise society and ensure implementation of the laws,’’ she said. Earlier, members cutting across party lines demanded death penalty for persons rapists. Satisfied with the minister’s reply, Bimba Raikar withdrew the Bill.
