No unity on death for rapists

Even as the nation continues to be outraged over the brutal rape and murder of a 23-year-old in the Capital, police chiefs and chief secretaries of a states such as Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have voiced approval of death penalty for rapists though a clear consensus on the issue continued to elude, reports Sanjib Kr Baruah.

Even as the nation continues to be outraged over the brutal rape and murder of a 23-year-old in the Capital, police chiefs and chief secretaries of a states such as Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have voiced approval of death penalty for rapists though a clear consensus on the issue continued to elude.

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“There is no clear consensus on amending the law to include capital punishment for rape. While Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have suggested death penalty, most kept silent on the issue,” said a senior officer privy to the day-long-deliberations.

However, most states veered around the view that rape convicts should be sentenced to life till death without parole.

The suggestions — which will now be considered by the Centre — came up during a special brainstorming session of state chief secretaries and police chiefs called by the Union home ministry on Friday.

There was, however, much stronger agreement among the states on issues like putting rape cases on the fast track, stricter laws for crimes relating to women including eve-teasing, increased in police patrolling on patrol cars and motor cycles and increasing women's representation in the police forces.

The home minister also voiced concern at the low rate of conviction for crimes against women.

Shinde said he has already sought the finance ministry's approval for recruiting 418 women sub-inspectors and 2088 women constables for deployment in the Capital so as to ensure the presence of at least 12 policewomen in every Delhi police station.

Criminals everywhere

CRPF jawan held for rape in Assam
Guwahati: A CRPF jawan was arrested in eastern Assam’s Lakhimpur district for allegedly raping a physically challenged woman at Adarshagaon village on Thursday evening. This was one of two rapes in the eastern part of the state over the past two days.

In Lakhimpur, a group of five CRPF jawans forcibly took the woman — who can’t speak or hear — into a jungle beside the road she was walking on. One of the men raping her was caught by nearby villagers and thrashed while the four others escaped, the police said. In Tinsukia district, an 11-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by a group of five men at Sukan Pukhuri tea estate in the early hours of Friday. Four culprits were arrested while the fifth escaped.

10-year-old raped in Bihar
Gopalganj: A 10-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a youth near Thabe railway station in Gopalganj district of north-western Bihar late on Thursday night.

Police sources said the victim was on her way to the station with relatives to board a train when she was forcibly taken to a lonely place by the youth and raped. An FIR was registered on the basis of the complaint by the victim's relatives, a police official said.

Raisen molestation victim ends life
Bhopal: A 16-year-old girl, who was allegedly molested by two youths, committed suicide by hanging herself in Raisen district, neighbouring Bhopal on Friday. The victim was alone at home in the morning when two youths barged into her house and molested her.

The duo fled after neighbours arrived at the house on hearing her cries for help. But the trauma was too much for the victim, who hanged herself and was dead by the time her parents came home, the police said.