Hailing Justice! Cabinet approves ordinance of death penalty for child rapist

New Delhi, April 21: Amid the unsparing outrage over rape cases coming out in the country, hard decision on severe punishment had become mandate for the authorities. In a welcoming move towards protecting the women and girls of the country, the Union Cabinet approved ordinance promulgating to provide stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape particularly of girls below 16 years age and below 12 years of age.

Awarding death penalty for raping a girl below 12 years of age, the union cabinet has also decided to impede measures for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases.

Stating the terms of punishment in the ordinance, it is noted that in case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years which has been extendable to life imprisonment. Another major drive, at least a minimum of 20 years of imprisonment or life imprisonment for rape of a girl less than 12 years has been imposed.

The decision comes with the backdrop of the recent alleged rape and murder of girls in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua case, Unnao case in Uttar Pradesh and Gujrat’s Surat district. Creating a arena for stringent law for rapists and taken undue measures on safety of women, Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi had also urged in amending the POSCO Act and retraining the police force in regards to sexual offences.

The ordinance will be further taken forward to President Ram Nath Kovind for his assent.