Maha women can lodge harassment complaints online: Ajit Pawar

The Maharashtra cabinet discussed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's instruction about online registration of women harassment cases and decided to adopt a different approach to prevent such incidents, deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Monday.

During a programme organised for "Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana" in Jalgaon on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed crimes against women an unpardonable sin and said the safety of women should be a priority.

His strong remarks came against the backdrop of protests against the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital and the sexual abuse of two four-year-old school girls in Badlapur near Mumbai.

Modi pointed out that an entire chapter is dedicated to crimes against women and children in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and if a woman cannot reach the police station, she can file an e-FIR, and no one can make any changes at the police station level.

Talking to reporters here, Pawar said, "PM Modi has instructed about filing complaints regarding such incidents online, and we have decided to implement it immediately. Several such cases are coming to the fore. We have decided to take a different approach to prevent such crimes, and the issue was discussed in the cabinet meeting yesterday."

The deputy chief minister called for the "strictest of strict" action against perpetrators of such crimes.

He said, "Perpetrators should get capital punishment in these cases and the trial should be held in the fast-track court."

Pawar further rubbished Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan's allegations that people close to the state government were shielded in the Pune Porsche car crash case, in which a juvenile ran over and killed two IT professionals.

Terming them an "utter lie", he said if someone has any proof, they can submit it as no one will be shielded.

Asked about talks between the Mahayuti constituents (Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party) about the post of chief minister, he said the dispensation will decided once it returns to power after the upcoming state assembly elections.