Death penalty to child rape convicts is a noble step of Modi government. This important bill was passed on Monday to make laws against the death penalty to those convicted of rape of girls under the age of 12 years and draft laws against sexual harassment passed by the Lok Sabha. The step is taken after the recent incidents of rape of a minor girl in Kathua and rape of another woman in Unnao, the bill replaces the Bill Criminal Law (Amendment) ordinance on April 21, 2018.

This Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018 was supported by most members across the political spectrum and passed by a voice vote, some opposition persons objected to the government adopting the ordinance route to enact the law. A statutory resolution disapproving the ordinance on the matter and several amendments moved by the opposition members were also negated by voice vote.

Minister of State for Home Kiran Rijiju was replying to an over two-hour discussion on the measure of the death penalty to child rape convicts, this hard law has aimed at providing safety to minor girls. He said the existing Indian Penal Code (IPC) provides punishment to those convicted of raping a woman. But there was no provision for rape or gangrape of minor girls below 16 or 12 years of age in IPC. Kiran Rijju said that this is very important provisions. so the government proposed this provision. He also said the recent case of rape and gangrape of women below the age of 12 years has shaken the conscience of the nation.

Kiran Rijju said that the offence of rape and gangrape against women under the age of 12-16 years require effective deterrence through legal provisions of more hard punishment. After implementing this bill, the minimum punishment in cases of rape of women will have been increased from the rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, it will extendable to life imprisonment.

According to this bill, 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 rest of life. It means that jail term till the convict’s “natural life”. The punishment for the gangrape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict.

Hard punishment for rape of a girl less than 12 years has been provided with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison or the death penalty to child rape convicts sentence. Gangrape of a girl under 12 years of age will invite punishment of jail term for the rest of life or death.