SRI NAGAR: Three months after the rape and murder of a minor nomad girl, the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, on Tuesday approved an Ordinance to allow courts to award the death penalty to child rapists.
Two of the eight accused arrested for their involvement in the rape of the nomad girl, Sub-Inspector Anand Dutta and SPO Deepak Khajuria, have moved the state High Court seeking a CBI probe into the case.
An official spokesman said that the Cabinet, which met at the Civil Secretariat in Jammu, approved the Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 and the Jammu and Kashmir Protection of Children from Sexual Violence Ordinance, 2018.
As per the J&K Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, rape of a girl under 16 years of age has been made punishable with rigorous imprisonment for 20 years, which may extend to a life sentence, which shall mean the remainder of that person’s natural life, and rape of a girl under 12 years of age has been made punishable with death.
The gang rape of a girl under 16 years of age has been made punishable with imprisonment for life, which shall mean the remainder of that person’s natural life, and the gang rape of a girl under 12 years of age has been made punishable with death.
The J&K Protection of Children from Sexual Violence Ordinance, 2018 has provisions relating to child-friendly procedures and reporting, recording of evidence, investigation and trial of offences, the spokesman said.