Pleading death penalty as stringent punishment in cases of gangrape, brutal rape and custodial rape, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday said the provision of mercy petition should not be given to convicts of such heinous crimes.
Making a series of suggestions to Justice Verma Commission, constituted under justice JS Verma, to look
into the grave issue of crime against women, the chief minister emphasised on speedy investigation, prosecution, expedite trial and enhanced punishment in all such crimes.

Supporting the minimum sentence of life imprisonment without any parole, remission/pardon for the offence of rape under Section 376(1) and (2), Badal proposed death penalty to be made mandatory where the rape was followed by murder.

He suggested that offences in the nature of aggravated sexual assault should be made non-bailable with minimum
punishment of two years and maximum seven years adding that in cases of aggravated sexual assault in custody, the minimum sentence should not be less than three years and maximum ten years.

Badal also advised that in cases of custodial aggravated sexual assault, the benefit of parole, remission/pardon should not be made available to the accused.