JAIPUR: In the recently proposed Rajasthan Women (Prevention & Protection from Atrocities) Bill, 2011, a major thrust has been given to protecting women who are tortured or killed after being branded as witches, an evil practice prevalent in many rural areas of the state.Similar to laws in states like UP, Jharkhand and Bihar, the state department of women and child development, has proposed stringent steps against such criminals.The bill has been welcomed by women's rights activists who had been demanding this for some time. A divisional bench of Rajasthan High Court had on Tuesday issued notices to the state government, women's commission of Rajasthan and director general of police (DGP) in this regard.The bench sought reply within four weeks. The notices were issued by a petition filed by the National Federation of Indian Women through its secretary Nisha Siddhu.According to the bill, whoever accuses or defames a woman by calling her Dayan or Dakan or Dakin, Chudail or Bhootni or Bhootdi or Chilavan or Opri or Ranndkadi or any other name or symbol suggesting her to be a witch, and accuses a woman of performing witchcraft or her performing any puja, use of mantra, tantra etc. aimed at harming any person; shall be punishable with imprisonment up to a term of three years with minimum fine of Rs 1,000 which may increased to Rs 5,000.Furthermore, whoever, in the name of performing witchcraft or her being possessed one', uses criminal force against a woman and/or instigates or provokes others in doing so with intent to harm and/or to displace her from the house, place or the property, lawfully occupied or owned by her or to coerce her to leave the area of which she is a rightful resident or a visitor, shall be punishable with imprisonment of a term which may extend to seven years and with fine which may extend to Rs 20,000.Besides, whoever intimidates a woman, calling her a witch and accuses her of practising witchcraft, to the extent that the woman is forced to commit suicide shall be punishable with imprisonment of a term of five years which may extend to 10 years with minimum fine of Rs 25,000 which may extend to Rs 50,000.The bill makes the provision of prosecuting those who assaults or uses criminal force or causes to assault or to use criminal force against a woman, accusing her to be a witch, resulting in her death, under Section 302 of IPC (Central Act 45 of 1860).The bill has proposed that if quacks known as ojha' or tantrik' or baba', claiming to possess spiritual and/or magical powers, declares any woman as a possessed one' and performs any ritual to free the woman from the so-called evil sprit or entices a woman or any person on her behalf with a promise to bless the woman with a child or performs any ritual on behalf of any person with intention to harm the woman, and whoever promotes, helps organizing and performing such rituals or associates one self with such rituals shall be punishable with imprisonment of a term of one year which may extend to five years with a fine of Rs 10,000.Whoever, assaults or uses criminal force against a woman to remove or causes to remove clothes from her body and demonstrates and parades her naked or with such scanty clothes that fail to protect her modesty, shall be punishable with imprisonment of a term of five years which may extend to 10 years with minimum fine of Rs 10,000 which may extend to Rs 50,000.A department officer said that the bill's draft has been prepared and is under consideration of the state government which plans to table the bill in the assembly soon.