NEW DELHI: The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018 which provides for stringent punishment including death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years has been approved by the Cabinet paving the way for its introduction in the monsoon session of Parliament.

To extend provisions of the amendment bill to male child survivors, the government in the next few days will also bring before the Cabinet a proposal for amendments to the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences Act. Once approved the Criminal Law Amendment Bill will apply to cases involving both the male and female survivors of sexual assault .

The bill once approved by Parliament, will replace the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance promulgated on April 21. The ordinance followed a public outcry over the rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and the rape of a woman in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh.

The minimum punishment for rape of a girl below 12 years will be 20 years of imprisonment extendable to life in prison or death sentence. In case of a gang rape of a girl below 12 years, the punishment will be life imprisonment or death sentence.

According to the bill, in case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict's natural life. The punishment for gang rape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict.

The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment.

The bill also lays down that investigation in all cases of rape will have to be mandatorily completed within two months, the official said. There will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years.

