Govt favours death in child rape cases
PLAN Minister Maneka says she wants to bring amendment in POCSO Act
Centre is planning to amend a law to ensure death penalty for those who rape children aged below 12 years as outrage continues to pour out over the recent rape cases of minors.
Union women and child development (WCD) minister Maneka Gandhi Friday said she intends to bring the amendment in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act, 2012.
At present, the maximum punishment for aggravated sexual assault on minors is imprisonment for life.
“I am deeply disturbed by the rape case in Kathua and all the recent rape cases that have happened on children. I and the ministry intend to bring an amendment to the POCSO Act asking for death penalty for rape on children below 12 years,” she said. The minister was referring to the case of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, Jammu, who was abducted, drugged, confined in a temple, and gang-raped in January by a group of men, including a juvenile, as they wanted to drive out the girl’s Bakherwal Muslim community from the area.WCD secretary Rakesh Srivastava said they will send the proposal seeking amendment to the law ministry soon.
“We are in talks with the law ministry. Once they clear it, we will move the cabinet for approval,” he said.
Recently, the Rajasthan government had approved a bill seeking death penalty for those convicted of raping girls under 12 years of age. Two other BJP ruled states — Madhya Pradesh and Haryana — have also given the go ahead for a similar proposal.