Severe laws for offenders: Government

The more stringent provisions of the law, made possible by the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2013 after the Nirbhaya gangrape-murder, will now be applicable to the devadasi system and can lead to imprisonment ranging from at least seven years to imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life, depending on the number or category of persons trafficked or, in this case, forced into the devadasi system. The stringent law, which was adopted after a nationwide outcry following the Nirbhaya tragedy, also has penal provisions for employment of a trafficked person, which can be invoked against the accused in this case.

The Nirbhaya case was instrumental in amending the juvenile justice law. “Even though it was abolished long back by passing various enactments by different state governments, reports reveal that the devadasi system still persists,” MHA said.

Such practice is absolutely inhuman and against the dignity of women and therefore the devadasi system needs to be completely abolished both in letter and spirit,” the MHA has said.

The wake-up call for the Centre came when the Supreme Court in November fined the Central government Rs 25,000 for failing to file on time an affidavit on women being forced to become devadasis and the possibility of abolition of the age-old tradition. The court has fixed the matter for hearing on January 8.