Taking cue from Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka mulls law for capital punishment to rapists of minor girls

BANGALORE: Karnataka will take a close look at a recent piece of legislation passed by the Madhya Pradesh Assembly which made the provision to award the death penalty to convicts who raped girls aged 12 or below. Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said on Saturday that the Karnataka government is considering framing a similar law that would allow capital punishment to be awarded to rapists of minor girls.

On December 4, the Madhya Pradesh Assembly passed a bill that mandates the death penalty for rapists who assaulted girls aged 12 and below. With this, the state became the first in the country to pass such a law. Reddy said the Karnataka government would get details of the law passed by the MP assembly. He cited the recent rape and murder of a minor Dalit girl in Vijayapura, and said the law might control such crimes. State Human Rights Commission former chairperson Meera Saxena welcomed the move, saying it would act as a strong deterrent.

“My belief is that 80-90 per cent of criminals will think twice before they commit the crime if the law is passed. The fear of a strong punishment will reduce such crimes,” she said. Meera added though people’s attitudes too needed to be changed to stop such crimes, women need not have to wait till that is done.
Activist Prasanna, of the NGO Jan Sangram Parishad, was also in favour of the move while advocating other reforms. He said the persons accused of such crimes were getting bail easily, and were paying witnesses to turn hostile. “Such witnesses should also face a strict punishment,” he added.