Report of the Committee on Amendments to Criminal Law (Verma Committee Report), India

The Committee was constituted to recommend amendments to the Criminal Law of India to provide speedier trials and to enhance punishment for criminals accused of committing sexual assault against women. The Committee made recommendations on laws related to rape, sexual harassment, trafficking, child sexual abuse, medical examination of victims, police, electoral and education reforms. One of the key recommendations made by the committee is on virginity testing, which lacks probative value and should be forbidden for being humiliating and harmful. It also recommends that the prohibition on marital rape be removed. Moreover, non-penetrative forms of sexual contact should be regarded as sexual assault as long as they are non-consensual. Furthermore, the committee suggested that the use of words, acts or gestures that create an unwelcome threat of a sexual nature should be considered sexual assault. Regarding sexual harassment, the committee suggested that domestic workers be included within the purview of the bill. The employer should be required to institute an internal complaint committee to which complaints must be filed. On trafficking, the committee recommends that trafficking by threat, force or inducement be criminalized, as well as the employment of a trafficked person. The Committee rejected the proposal for chemical castration of rape convicts as it fails to treat the social foundations of rape. With respect to electoral reforms, the committee recommended that candidates be disqualified for crimes related to terrorism, untouchability, secularism, fairness of elections, sati and dowry.