Lok Sabha passes death penalty bill for rapists of minor girls
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018 has been passed from the Lok Sabha. In this law, there is a provision for the death penalty for the raped convicts with girls below 12 years of age. At the same time, if convicted of rape with girls aged less than 16 years, there is a provision of at least 20 years of harsh punishment, which can be extended to life imprisonment too. With the consent of all the parties on Monday, this bill was passed in the Lok Sabha.
Now this bill will be introduced in the Rajya Sabha, from which it will take the form of law. After this new law comes into force, convicts guilty of raping girls below 12 years of age will be given death sentence. This bill will replace the penal law amendment ordinance of April 21 2018.
Responding to the discussion on the Bill, Minister of State for Home, Kiran Rijiju said that there have been many incidents of rape in the last few days which have shocked the country’s psyche. In such a case, this bill, with strict provisions against such a heinous crime, has been brought.
He said that in the event of rape, the victim will be provided immediate free treatment and the hospital will immediately inform the police. He said that security of women, sisters and daughters in civil society is the moral responsibility of all of us. Our government is committed to giving justice to the victims in every case of sexual offenses.
Rijiju said that no one in the investigation under the new law can ask a victim about the question about their conduct. He said that under the terminology of the IPC, the word ‘female’ has been used instead of the child for a child under 16 years of age in the bill.
