Centre approves ordinance to award death penalty for rape of children below 12

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 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 Kashmir's Kathua and Gujarat's Surat district recently.

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

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