New Delhi: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has claimed that the incidents of murder after rape have increased across the country due to the law to hang the rape convicts.
He made this statement in Delhi while the Congress protested against the Union government over issues of inflation, GST on essential items, and unemployment.
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According to news agency ANI, the Rajasthan Chief Minister said, "after the Nirbhaya case, the demand to hang the accused gained momentum and after that, the law came into force. Since then, there has been an increase in the cases of murder of women after rape."
"Due to the law on the hanging of culprits after the Nirbhaya case, the incidents of murder after rape have increased. This is a dangerous trend being seen in the country," he added.
CM Ashok Gehlot claimed that the trend of murder after rape has reached an alarming level in India. "The rapist feels that the victim will become a witness against the accused. In such a situation, the accused finds it right to kill the victim. The reports that are coming from all over the country show a very dangerous trend. The situation in the country is not good," he said.
Making Controversial Statements To Hide Failures: Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat
Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat criticised Ashok Gehlot's statement, calling it "unfortunate". "In the last three years, Rajasthan has become the center for atrocities against young innocent girls. Nothing can be more unfortunate than those changing the subject by making controversial statements to hide their failures," the BJP leader said, as quoted by ANI.
Death Penalty For Rapists
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, was introduced after the 2012 Delhi gang rape case. In this act, Section 376E was added to award the death penalty to a convict who is a repeat offender under Section 376, 376A, and 376D. As per a report by The Hindu, Section 376A includes causing the death of the victim, and 376D is to charge the convict with gang rape — an offence that carries a sentence of 20 years to life.
Currently, capital punishment can be awarded in cases of rape and injury which causes death or leaves women in a persistent vegetative state (376A of IPC), rape of a child below 12 years (376AB of IPC), gang rape of a child below 12 years of age (376DB of IPC), and certain repeat offences in the context of rape (376E of IPC).
Meanwhile, Gehlot's colleagues in the Congress are yet to comment on the Rajasthan Chief Minister's statement arguing against capital punishment for convicted rapists.
(With Agency Inputs)