MPs question efficacy of anti-rape bill

MPs today raised questions over efficacy of the system in dealing with cases of sexual crimes committed by influential people like politicians as the anti-rape bill had no such provision.
Responding to these questions in the Rajya Sabha, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013 has a provision which prescribes punishment to persons having "dominance" and this can be used to deal with influential people like politicians.
Participating in a debate in Rajya Sabha on the bill, members cutting across parties said effective mechanisms needed to be put in place to deal with people who wield power.

Often people in high positions including ministers indulge in crimes against women, actress-turned-politician Jaya Bachchan said.
"A senior member of Parliament had made a very serious comment on a lady mediaperson after the Amendment Bill was passed in Lok Sabha (on Tuesday)," the SP member said and questioned the efficacy of such a law.
"How ineffective you are....This is an eyewash...What kind of disciplinary action are you going to take against people in high positions, its a shame, its a shame," she said.

Citing another example, she said, "A (Maharashtra) minister's son raped a girl in Mumbai. She came to me and said that if I tell my parents they will disown me. If I go to police they will not listen to me and I don't want to go through the medical examination process."

Wondering what she should tell that girl to do, Bachchan said that after passage of the Bill, may be she could advise her to take some steps.
She said she was supporting the bill as her party wanted her to do so, but "on individual basis, I have many reservations."
T N Seema (CPI-M) sought to know whether the government was serious in initiating action against people in higher positions who escape the law by wielding their influence.
She said many such instances had been witnessed recently.
"Many people in higher positions escape even after raping minor girls. They bypass legal system. The victim is isolated in society, fighting and fighting," Seema said, accusing the government of being insensitive in such matters.

Rape by high caste men committed on SC/ST women should attract stringent punishment, she said.