#RapeRoko volunteers form a Human Chain around central park, Connaught Place raising slogans against rapes and demanding a system to ensure punishment within six months of the crime, in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: V.V. Krishnan

New Delhi

27 March 2018 19:01 IST

The Delhi government would soon bring an amendment to make stalking a non-bailable offence after the Delhi Assembly on Monday passed a resolution asking it to do so.

Home Minister Satyendra Jain assured the House that he would bring an amendment soon, based on the resolution moved by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Greater Kailash Saurabh Bharadwaj.

Victims killed

The resolution followed a discussion started by AAP MLA from Chandni Chowk Alka Lamba, who listed several cases of stalking over the years that ended with the victims being killed after the accused were let out on bail for stalking.

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Mr. Bharadwaj said that Section-354 D of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with stalking, would be amended in order to make the offence non-bailable.

In addition, the resolution passed also asked for the government to amend the law to make the death penalty the punishment for raping a minor under 12 years of age.

Blames Bollywood

AAP Delhi women’s wing president Richa Pandey Mishra, who was present in the gallery during the discussion, later said, “Bollywood has romanticised the idea of stalking. There are many songs that glorify a man running after a woman...In Delhi alone, there were around 7,000 cases of stalking in 2016, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.”

She added that the AAP women’s wing was carrying out a signature campaign in favour of a stringent anti-stalking legislation that had collected 20,000 signatures so far. She said once the campaign collects 1 lakh signatures, the issue would be raised with the Lieutenant-Governor.