New Delhi, December 28: Union Law Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad Friday said that the cabinet has approved death penalty in aggravated sexual offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. In April, the Centre had approved an ordinance to amend the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to award death sentence to the rapists of children below the age of 12. POCSO Act Amendment: Centre Approves Ordinance With Death Penalty For Child Rapists.

According to the amendment, a death penalty was provisioned for rapists of girls below 12 years of age.

The Cabinet had also decided to put in place measures for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases. In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, minimum punishment increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to life imprisonment; minimum 20 years’ imprisonment or life imprisonment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided in the Ordinance.

However, the Delhi High Court had pulled up the government over its amendment to the Prevention of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which allows for death penalty to be awarded in rape cases where the victim is below 12 years of age. The court, while hearing a PIL filed by journalist-turned-academician Madhu Kishwar challenging the Criminal Law (Amendment) of 2013, had questioned the government over the use of death penalty as a deterrent to rape crimes.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 28, 2018 04:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).