The Union cabinet on Saturday approved an ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age.
Official sources said in New Delhi that the criminal law amendment ordinance seeks to amend the Indian Penal Code, the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to introduce a new provision to sentence convicts of such crimes punishment of death.
Death penalty has been provided for rapists of children below 12 years of age.
The Union cabinet also decided to put in place measures for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases.
In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to life imprisonment; minimum 20 years’ imprisonment or life imprisonment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided in the Ordinance.
Minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment; in case of gang rape of a girl below 12 years, punishment will be life imprisonment or death sentence.
The move comes against the backdrop of the alleged rape and murder of girls in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua and Gujarat’s Surat district recently.
The rape of a minor in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district had also outraged the nation.
The ordinance would be now sent to the President for his approval.
With ANI inputs
Source: Rediff