Repeat sexual offenders may be booked under Goonda Act

A proposal has been sent to the Law Department to amend the Goonda Act so that repeat offenders in crimes against women are booked under the stringent law, Home Minister K J George said on Friday. 

“The police are already booking repeat offenders under the Goonda Act. The Bangalore police have booked under the Goonda Act the suspect in the rape of a girl in a PG facility. The Law Minister has been briefed about this and urged to set up more fast-track courts.

 He will request the Chief Justice of High Court about the proposal. This is in addition to the 10 existing fast-track courts,” George told reporters after attending a meeting called by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the wake of increasing rapes in the State. 

The Home minister further said that to beef up police patrolling in Bangalore, a DCP-rank officer would head the control room.

“Women and child helplines–1091–is up and running round the clock. However, in the wake of reports that patrolling is not done systematically, a DCP will head the control room in Bangalore with immediate effect. Bangalore police have 186 Hoysala vehicles and 300 Cheetah motorcycles. The DCP (control room) will monitor the movement of the patrolling vehicles and ensure that one of them makes continuous rounds of two wards,” George said. 

The Hoysala vehicles will be fitted with sirens and multiple colour amber lights.The Home minister said that with the help of the transport department, the colour of amber lights for patrol vehicles would be decided shortly. Around 120 patrolling vehicles are presently fitted with the GPS (Global Positioning System) while tenders have been called to instal the GPS in all the vehicles, he added. 

Besides, the district police will also get new patrol vehicles soon.

The chief minister has assured that in three or four days, new vehicles will be sanctioned to the district police. “There are 10 all-women police stations in the State. We have decided to set up 10 more and by next year each district wil have one all-women police station,” George said. 

On invoking the newly amended section 166 (a) of the IPC against a police inspector for diluting the rape victim’s complaint, the minister said that it was just the beginning. 

“This will send a strong message to police officers in the State. Clear instructions have been given to the police to register FIRs immediately,” he said. “If the number of complaints have gone up, it indicates that people are mustering courage to approach the police station.”