Maneka urges mandatory registration of sex offenders

Strongly pitching for the surveillance of sex crime convicts after their release, India’s Women and Child Development minister Maneka Gandhi has asked the law minister to push for the enactment of a law requiring the mandatory registration of such offenders, ahead of the release of the December 16 gangrape juvenile convict later this month.

In a letter to Law Minister Sadanand Gowda, Gandhi said, “In cases where the accused are convicted for committing heinous crimes, the orders of the court may also include mandatory requirement of registration of the accused [at a] local police station so that police can monitor their activities and keep track of their movements.”

Sense of security

Such an initiative by the courts will ensure effective management and supervision of sex offenders and also reduce future offences, leading to a sense of security among women and children, she said.

Those convicted of heinous crimes like rape should be required to provide their personal details to the local law enforcement agency on a regular basis, she further suggested.

“The registered sex offenders may be required to periodically appear in person [before] their local law enforcement agency for purposes of giving details of their personal information such as present address and place of employment,” Gandhi said.