TN Assembly adopts Bill envisaging enhanced punishment for

The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Fridayadopted a Bill that enhances punishment for offences againstwomen and children including causing deaths by demandingdowry, stalking and selling minors for prostitution.

The maximum punishment for selling and buying minors(IPC, 372, 373) for prostitution would be life imprisonmentfrom 10 years now and a minimum sentence of seven years hasbeen inserted.

The Bill, piloted by Minister for Law, Courts andPrisons, C Ve Shanmugam amended the Indian Penal Code in itsapplicability to Tamil Nadu.

On September 16 last year, Chief Minister K Palaniswamihad announced in the Assembly that the punishment for crimesagainst women and children would be made more stringent.

With the amendment to the IPC, the minimum punishmentfor dowry deaths (IPC 304-B) shall be 10 years from thepresent seven and for disrobing (IPC 354-B) the minimumsentence is enhanced to five years from three now and themaximum punishment, ten years from seven.

Similarly, stalking (IPC 354-D), on a second orsubsequent conviction would see a maximum of seven yearsimprisonment from the present five.

A Bill, moved by Higher Education Minister K P Anbalaganproviding for establishment of a varsity, 'Dr J JayalalithaaUniversity' headquartered in Villupuram was adopted.

Palaniswami had last year announced setting up of thevarsity by bifurcating Thiruvalluvar University.

A Bill to amend the Annamalai University Act 2013 andthe TN Dr MGR Medical University Chennai Act, 1987 wasalso adopted.

It was to give effect to a decision on recognising theChidambaram based Rajah Muthiah Medical College and Hospitaland dental and nursing colleges and hospitals there asgovernment institutions.

Orders were issued recently for vesting the colleges andhospitals attached to Annamalai University with the governmenthealth department.

TN Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 was amended torepeal a provision relating to levy of cess on sugarcane undersection 14 of the TN Sugar Factories Control Act, 1949 sincecess has been subsumed with the implementation of the GSTregime.

All these four Bills were introduced, considered andpassed today.

An amendment Bill, which was introduced on Thursday toreplace an ordinance banning cyberspace gambling was passed.

Online games like rummy and poker involving bettingshall invite imprisonment up to two years or fine notexceeding Rs 10,000 or both, according to the Bill.

Bills to amend municipal laws and TN Panchayats Act toextend the term of office of the special officers of civicbodies for a further period of six months, upto June 30, 2021was adopted.

A Bill amending TN Co-operative Societies Act, to bringin a shorter time limit on inquiry and related aspects overfraud or misappropriation in societies was passed.

The Bills relating to municipal laws, panchayats andcooperatives were tabled on February 4.

Later, the Tamil Nadu Assembly, which commenced withGovernor Banwarilal Purohit's customary address on February 2,was adjourned sine die by Speaker P Dhanapal.