Parliament passes bill to ensure death penalty for child rapists

The Rajya Sabha today passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

The bill includes stringent measures against rapists including the death penalty for rape of under 12 girls.

The bill was already passed in the lower House of Parliament last month, it was passed by a voice vote in the Upper House today. The Bill replaces the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance promulgated on April 21.

While replying to a debate in the Rajya Sabha, minister of state(MoS) for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju assured the House that the concerns and issues raised by the members would be looked into by the government, even as he did not agree with the demand of several MPs to send the bill to a Select Committee for scrutiny.

"We have introduced certain changes in the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Court Procedure, Evidence Act and there are consequential effects on prevention of atrocities against children," Rijiju said.

The minister said the law is aimed at providing safety to minor girls while adding that the government brought the bill after several incidents of rape of under-aged girls had taken place in the country.

The new law prescribes punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years with minimum jail term of 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death sentence. Gangrape of a girl under 12 years of age will invite punishment of jail term for the rest of life or death.

It also provides for speedy investigations and trial. The time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months. The deadline for the completion of trial in all rape cases will be two months.  

A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed, the bill says, adding that there will also be "no provision" for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gangrape of a girl under 16 years.