Andhra Pradesh Cabinet Clears Bill Proposing Death Penalty For Rapists

New Delhi: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a Bill that seeks the death penalty in cases of sexual abuses against women — learning a ‘bitter’ lesson from the recent case of gangrape and murder of a veterinary doctor in neighbouring state Telangana. The Bill also mandates that from the day of an FIR being filed, the entire trial should not take more than 21 days.

Once the Bill is passed by the state Assembly, Andhra Pradesh will be the first state in India to have capital punishment for rape cases. The Bill — the Andhra Pradesh Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2019, will be called the Andhra Pradesh Disha Act.

On the lines of the amended Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2019, the Bill also proposes the death penalty for sexual abuse of children.