MP Dr Shashi Tharoor presented a Private Member’s bill on stalking co-drafted with The Quint on 3 August in the monsoon session in Parliament.

The Quint’s fight to improve our laws against stalking now reaches Parliament, with a Bill to make stalking a non-bailable offence.

The Private Member’s Bill, co-drafted by Dr Tharoor’s team and The Quint, seeks to ensure that stalking is taken more seriously and that stalkers are subjected to judicial scrutiny before being allowed out on bail. Stalking is rarely an offence in isolation. 80% of the stalking cases lead to acid attacks, rapes and sometimes even murders.

This is to minimise the risk of further attacks on survivors. It also includes amendments to the definition of stalking in Section 354D of the IPC to make it gender-neutral and include the safeguards proposed by the Verma Committee.

The introduction of the Bill in Parliament is an important step towards ensuring that these much-needed amendments are made to improve the law. To make this happen, Dr Tharoor has also submitted a detailed proposal drafted by The Quint and his office to Home Minister Rajnath Singh on this issue, for consideration by the Centre.