25 Maharashtra fast-track courts only for women cases

The Maharashtra government will
earmark 25 out of 100 fast-track courts
across the state exclusively to deal with
women-related cases, Home Minister
R.R. Patil announced in Mumbai on
Friday.
He said that the Bombay High Court
would be requested to do whatever was
necessary so that women-related cases
can be disposed of quickly and in a
timebound manner.
"The state government will also request
the centre to make laws pertaining to any
type of atrocities on women stricter in
the wake of the recent gang-rape of a
woman in Delhi," Patil assured a
delegation of Nationalist Congress Party
women's wing led by city president Chitra
Wagh.
The delegation members vociferously
demanded that atrocities on women like
molestation or rape should be made non-
bailable offences attracting either life
terms or death penalty.
The home minister said the security of
women, minors and senior citizens would
be given top priority and warned that
offenders would not be spared.