Raj Thackeray favours ‘Sharia-type’ law to tackle rape cases
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray on Monday advocated a stringent Sharia-type law to tackle heinous crimes like rape against women and minors.
“Those who rape and kill minors, their hands and legs should be chopped off,” an emotionally-charged MNS leader said after meeting the relatives of a minor rape victim here.
Thackeray said those indulging in heinous crimes against women or minors be dealt with mercilessly.
“There is a need for a Sharia-type law, prevalent in some Islamic countries, to deal with such crimes,” he said.
He also urged the government to amend the relevant laws since the perpetrators of rape could misuse existing provisions to their advantage.
The 14-year old schoolgirl was kidnapped, gangraped and her body badly mutilated in Kopardi village in Ahmednagar district. Her body was found on July 13.
Thackeray said the crime at Kopardi occurred because law and order in Maharashtra had collapsed and the present Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena government is “proving worse than the earlier Congress-Nationalist Congress Party rule”.
Referring to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ announcement to provide arms licences to rape survivors or their families, Thackeray said such measures will not suffice.
When told that the accused had said they were inebriated when they allegedly committed the crime, the MNS leader countered: “Even after drinking, don’t you recognise your mother or sister? You don’t do such things with them, then why with others?”
The MNS chief was interacting with the media after meeting and consoling the girl’s family.
Fadnavis, who visited the distraught family on Sunday, assured arms licences to the families or survivors of rape to enable them protect themselves.
He also reiterated that the case would be fast-tracked and handled by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.

Rape accused, father arrested in UP’s Ballia
- Among other charges, the two men have also been booked under sections of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance

Tractor rally violence: Rakesh Tikait, 6 other farmer leaders named in FIR

Centre of orchestrated violence in Delhi’s tractor rally, says Digvijaya Singh
- Digvijaya Singh accused the Centre of trying to derail the farmers' protest

BJP planted stooge Deep Sidhu to create chaos in tractor rally: AAP
- At a press conference, AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha, while questioning the connection between Sidhu and BJP, showed several photos purportedly of the actor with various BJP leaders. "The BJP planted their stooge Deep Sidhu to create chaos in farmers' tractor parade," Chadha said.

Rakesh Tikait named in FIR over violence in tractor parade, says Delhi Police

Soldier killed, others three injured in IED blast in Kashmir’s Kulgam
- The police said the IED was most probably planted in the night and that the perpetrators were probably familiar with the troop movement.

Twitter takes down over 500 accounts a day after violence during farmer rally

IT minister to launch 'Work from Anywhere' portal

Twitter suspends over 550 accounts after violence during farmers' R-Day rally

'Doesn't have authority': AIKSCC after farmer leader says withdrawing from stir

News updates from HT: Over a million Kisan fund transfers failed during lockdown

No need to assess Mollem projects’ cumulative impact: Goa minister

Man-eater leopard that attacked 4 people shot dead in Uttarakhand’s Almora
- The leopard had killed a woman and inured three others before the forest department declared it a man-eater.

IRCTC to resume services for Tejas trains from February 14
- The two Tejas Express services are the first set of trains run by IRCTC, a subsidiary of the Indian Railways. They stopped operating in March last year due to the pandemic. IRCTC resumed services in October, but operations were stopped a month later due to low occupancy.

Uttarakhand police on alert in 4 districts after violence in Delhi tractor rally
- The police headquarters has asked the US Nagar district police to maintain extra vigil as it is the most affected district in the state by the farmers’ agitation.