Arunachal Pradesh becomes 4th state to approve death penalty for raping girls below 12 years of age

Itanagar, March 17: After Harayana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan Arunachal Pradesh passed the bill proposing death sentence to those convicted of raping or gang-raping a girl up to 12 years of age becoming the fourth state of India taking this move.

The Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, in a historic move, passed the Criminal Laws (Arunachal Pradesh) Amendment Bill, 2018 on the last day of the six-day Budget Session today, approving death penalty to those convicted of raping or gang-raping a girl up to 12 years of age.

With this, the BJP-ruled Arunachal Pradesh has become the fourth State in the country after Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana to bring in an amendment of the criminal laws to provide capital punishment to offenders convicted of raping girls up to 12 years of age.

Stunned by the recent spurt in crimes against women and children in the State, which is often referred to as an ‘abode of peace,’ the State Government brought in the legislation in a bid to check the ‘rising’ heinous crimes against minors by enhancing the term of punishment and quantum of fine in the existing provisions of the Indian Penal Code (No. 45 of 1860). The State registered 48 and 45 rape cases against minors during 2016 and 2017 respectively, and six cases in 2018 up to February.

 

Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu tweeted, " Arunachal today became the fourth state in the country to approve death sentence for those convicted of rapes of girls below 12 years of age. The Criminal Laws (Arunachal Pradesh) Amendment Bill, 2018 was passed today to impose actions on those committing such crimes. @PMOIndia."

The members of the house passed the amendment bill unanimously. The bill as passed seeking to amend the sections 354, 354 (B), 354 (D) of IPC and sections 376AA and 376D of IPC have been added in the amendment bill. The bill also provides amendment to POCSO, Indian Evidence Act and Code of Criminal Procedure.