‘DEATH PENALTY MAY BRING DOWN SUCH CRIMES’

The rape and murder of a seven year –old-girl in Uttar Pradesh`s Etah district, a similar case in Jammu`s Kathua and the sexual assault on a teenager by an MLA in UP`s Unnao district are indeed a blot on the social behaviour of Indians.

Such incidents are not new but these particular cases have caused a public outrage. In fact, gruesome sexual assaults have become the order of the day, almost a permanent feature in newspapers and electronic media. PM Narendra Modi has rightly said that such incidents, in any corner, in any state, shake human sensibilities. Why there is so much eruption of this crime? There are many reasons behind it. but (1) immodesty, (2) parents’ negligence in bringing up their children, (3) alcohol and (4) ineffective law in this respect appear to be the causes.

To a great extent, capital punishment may play an important role in bringing down heinous crimes such as rape. Justice Bhanwar Singh, former chairman of Judicial Training and Research Institute, UP has rightly said, “Death sentence should be introduced for rapists as things have gone beyond control and if the strictest measures are not taken, things may worsen”. Citing the example of UK, he said once petty crimes increased so much that the rulers had to make even pick pocketing punishable with death. When it showed results, 200 more petty crimes were made punishable with death. Things worked and crime was controlled.

It is high time we wake up from slumber, ponder over the causes and try our level best to curb this inhuman act.