Amid a growing national clamour for
death penalty for rapists in the wake of
the death of a 23-year-old medical
student in Delhi, the Congress on
Saturday sent its recommendations to a
panel constituted to review existing laws
on crimes against women.
In its suggestions to the commission,
headed by retired Supreme Court judge
Justice JS Verma, the party said the death
penalty should be awarded only in the
'rarest of rare cases'. It also reportedly
favours life imprisonment for those
accused of rape and has recommended
for a harsher sentence as compared to
the present 20 years.
The recommendations came a day after
the senior Congress leaders - including
Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde,
Finance Minister P Chidambaram,
Defence Minister AK Antony and Delhi
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit - met to
finalise the party's suggestions to be sent
to the Justice Verma commission. At
yesterday's meeting, the party reportedly
concluded that the punishment awarded
should be proportionate to the crime
committed.
The Congress, in its proposal to the panel,
has also expressed concern at the existing
law for juveniles. Yesterday, the party
said there was need for a re-look at the
definition of juvenile in cases of sexual
assault on women.
"There is definitely a need for a re-look at
this issue, especially in the light of
heinous crimes committed. We are aware
that children should be given a second
chance to reform but in cases such as this
(Delhi gang-rape), it certainly merits a re-
look," party spokesperson Renuka
Chowdhary said on Friday.
The suggestion comes at a time when
details have emerged of how one of the
six accused, who raped Amanat (NOT her
real name), and is allegedly a minor,
turned out to be the most depraved - he
raped her twice, once when she was
unconscious, police say.
A court in Delhi today took cognisance of
the charges against the other five accused
and has also issued production warrants
to them to appear before it on Monday at
12:30 pm.
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