Madhya Pradesh assembly passes bill for death sentence for rape of minor girls below 12

The Madhya Pradesh assembly on Monday unanimously passed a bill that will see rapists of girls 12 years or below being hanged till death. The move comes after the Shivraj Singh Chouhan Cabinet approved the bill last week. Called Dand Vidhi (Madhya Pradesh Sanshodhan) Vidheyak, 2017, the bill will be sent to the Centre and will need the assent of the President to become a law.

The development comes after the latest NCRB report revealed that Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of rape cases in the country. The bill proposes death penalty or a minimum term of 14-year rigorous imprisonment or life imprisonment till death for raping girls aged 12 or less. The minimum punishment increases to 20 years rigorous imprisonment for gang rape of girls aged 12 or less.