Prez nod to Criminal Law (Amendment)

: President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, that provides for stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years.

The amendment replaces the criminal law amendment ordinance promulgated on April 21, after the rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua and another woman in Unnao.

“This act may be called the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018. It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 21st day of April, 2018,” a gazette notification stated.

The act will further amend the Indian Penal Code, the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.

The President’s assent, given Saturday, came after Parliament approved the amendments to the law last week. The home ministry had drafted the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, which stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 16 and 12 years.

The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment.

Under the new law, in case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for restoflife. Thepunishmentfor gang rape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be life term.

Gang rape of a girl under 12 years of age will invite punishment of jail term for the rest of life or death.

NEW DELHI