Union cabinet approves ordinance for death penalty for rape of children

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet today approved an ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age.

Official sources said here that the criminal law amendment ordinance seeks to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to introduce a new provision to sentence convicts of such crimes punishment of death.

The move comes against the backdrop of the alleged rape and murder of girls in Jammu and Kashmirs Kathua and Gujarats Surat district recently.

The rape of a minor in Uttar Pradeshs Unnao district had also outraged the nation.

The ordinance would be now sent to the President for his approval.