MUMBAI: Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said in the House that Maharashtra is seeking the Centre’s permission to implement the Shakti bill that amends laws for offences committed against women and children with more stringent penal actions.
Reiterating that Maharashtra is studying the ‘love jihad’ laws of other states, he said: “In fact, the term love jihad has been coined by the Communist-ruled Kerala and it is a fact that such cases are happening all across the country. Other states have made stringent laws to curb such cases and hence Maharashtra is also ready to enact the law on similar lines to ensure long-term protection to women.”
Later, speaking to the media, NCP leader Jitendra Awhad, pointed out that only two states – Uttar Prad-esh and Madhya Pradesh – had initiated laws against aleged ‘love jihad’ cases and there was a lot to be done for such regulations to pass the scrutiny in the court of law.
While replying to BJP leader Ashish Shelar’s statement that certain matters written by Shraddha Walkar, who was allegedly murdered by her live-in partner Aaftab Poonawala, on her ‘settlement’ letter were erased and rewritten, Fadnavis admitted that there was some ‘gap’ in the investigation that needs to be probed. On Opposition leader Ajit Pawar’s demand, Fadnavis agreed to submit the SIT report to the state assembly in the coming budget session. He also pointed out that on Union home minister Amit Shah’s intervention, the Delhi police were already expediting the case with the help of a fast-track court.
In 2020, Shraddha had filed a complaint at Tulinj police station alleging that Aa-ftab had beaten her and thr-eatened to kill her. But the complaint was closed within a month after she gave a written statement that there was no dispute between them and the case be withd-rawn. Fadnavis said the state has directed police to probe as to why the complaint was not taken care of before she withdrew it.
Source : Times of India
