MP assembly passes bill awarding death for rape of girls aged 12 or less

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a bill awarding death to those found guilty of raping girls aged 12 and below.

With the passage of the bill, Madhya Pradesh becomes the first state in the country where those convicted of such rapes will face the gallows.

Introduced in the House by Law and Legislative Affairs Minister Rampal Singh, the bill was discussed in detail and then passed by all parties, including the ruling BJP and opposition Congress.

The bill will now be sent to the President for his assent after which it will become law, state Home Minister Bhupendra Singh told reporters outside the Assembly.

"It was a historic day for Madhya Pradesh as the state Assembly, as per the wish of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, passed a bill making a provision to award capital punishment to those indulging in such crimes (raping girls aged 12 or younger)," Singh said.