Rajasthan passed a bill that makes the rape of girls under the age of 12 punishable by death. The passing of the bill makes Rajasthan the second state to implement it.
Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria introduced the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2018 in the house. He called it a ‘progressive legislation’. It’s aimed at protecting the girl child. The Bill is waiting for the presidential approval. Kataria said he hoped such steps would be taken in other states and also by the centre. The bill will add two sections to the Indian Penal Code, 376-AA, and 376-DD.
We have made two amendments in the case. Added life sentence & life imprisonment for convicts in offences against girls below 12 years of age, also made a provision that convict can’t leave the prison for life even after completing 14 years of sentence: #Rajasthan HM GC Kataria pic.twitter.com/BG7qwsIjel
— ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018
Should a person be convicted of raping a girl below twelve or gang-raping her, they will be given a death penalty or a rigorous punishment which will not be less than fourteen years of imprisonment. Section 376-AA metes out capital punishment to the convicted person and imprisonment ranging from 14 years to lifelong. Section 376-DD states the same for convicted persons in a gang-rape case, but imprisonment will range from 20 years to a lifelong imprisonment. Last year Madhya Pradesh introduced such a legislation in the state. This law comes at a crucial time when crimes against children have been on a rise in Rajasthan.
Child rape has not only been on a rise in Rajasthan but has been seen in many other parts of India. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that the girls and boys in the country are safe. But death penalty meted out in the case of rape has been a question that still prevails as a debate in India. The number of cases could even reduce if laws are accompanied by the right kind of education at an early age.