The only penalty for 'Child rape convicts'

New Delhi, July 31: Finally, The Lok Sabha on Monday passed a bill to award death penalty to child rapists. The bill seeks to replace the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance promulgated on April 21, which followed protests and widespread outrage after the rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua.

In the case of "gruesome incidents" of rape involving a child under 12, the sentence can be extendable to death, said minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju who moved the bill.

The new provisions make it mandatory for the investigation into a rape case to be completed within two months, he told the House. The stringent law was aimed at providing safety to minor girls.

"I agree merely bringing laws is not enough, execution is necessary," Rijiju said rep- lying to the discussion on the bill.

"It is very shameful for the country even if one rape takes place.. Earlier the provision for (rape of) a woman under the age of 16 the punishment was 10 years, the punishable provision is now 20 years of rigorous imprisonment," the minister told the House.

At present, the maximum punishment for aggravated sexual assault on minors under the Pocso Act is life imprisonment. The law came into force in 2012 and deals with sexual offenses against those below the age of 18 years. The Indian Penal Code, however, prescribes the death penalty for gang rape.

The timeline for disposal of appeals against a rape conviction has been fixed at six months under the proposed law. Also, anticipatory bail will no longer be available for a person accused of raping a girl below 16 years. Another important provision of the proposed law bars a defence lawyer from raising questions about a "victim's character", the minister said.

Proposed changes in the law also set a deadline for completing a trial in two months and in camera proceedings.

BJD's B Mahtab demanded that since the bill set out to amend four laws – the IPC, CrPC, Evidence Act and Pocso Act – the provisions should be amended to specify sexual assault on a child, rather than use the word rape. He moved an amendment to that effect, which was not passed by the majority.