Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said the state Home department has prepared a draft bill to prevent witch-hunting and protect persons subjected to atrocities and physical and mental harassment under it.
The new law would give more teeth to the law enforcing agencies compared to the existing penal provisions to deal with the menace, he said while chairing a law and order meeting held here.
As per the new law, terming, accusing and causing physical and mental harassment to anybody in the name of being a witch would be treated as a cognisable offence and punishment for the offence would amount to minimum three years of sentence or even to life imprisonment.
Suggestions have also been made to impose community fine, if any community is found indulging in torturing anybody by branding witch-hunting.
Further provisions were made for the common people and other social organisations to assist investigating agencies dealing with the persons accused of causing physical and mental harm in the name of witch-hunting.
The Chief Minister also directed officials concerned to incorporate monetary compensation to the victim or next of kin of the victims facing social ostracization and any other harassment.
Women trafficking, another menace in present-day Assam, was also discussed at length in the meeting. The traffickers lure the poor job seekers of the state in the name of providing good jobs in other states and they become victims of women trafficking.
In order to deal with this problem, a decision was taken to direct job providing agencies or their agents to register their credentials with local police stations.
