With the number of cases involving the rape of juvenile girls shooting up, the Centre earlier this year promulgated an ordinance to enhance the punishment for rape. Senior police officials said the minimum punishment for rape has been increased from seven years to ten years, while the punishment for raping a girl younger than 16 has been increased to 20 years in jail.
CID crime sources added the punishment for raping a girl younger than 12 and for gang rape has been increased to life imprisonment.
The state government has also directed investigating officers in rape cases to finish investigations in two months and trials in six months.
Bail conditions have also been made more stringent.
“The accused will have to intimate the public prosecutor 15 days before filing a bail application. The presence of a representative of the rape survivor has been made mandatory for such bail proceedings,” a senior police official said.
Additional DGP Anil Pratham said they are corresponding with the government about special courts to quick trials in rape cases.
“We have already started special investigation units for crimes against women in 26 districts, to probe such cases. We will also train officers on how to investigate rape cases, gather scientific evidence and finish the probe in two months,” added Pratham.
Pratham said special training sessions will be held at training centres across the state. “The training will be imparted by a team of experts from the legal and forensic departments,” he added.
Pratham said they are currently sensitising police personnel on how to deal with rape cases.
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