Expressing its deep shock and anguish over the rape of a four-year-old student of a private school in Dhuri under Sangrur district two days ago which had sent shock waves across Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday sought death penalty for the child rapists.
AAP’s Sunam MLA Aman Arora has written a letter the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh expressing his dismay over the spurt in crime cases against children in the state.
“The government should ensure implementation of death penalty to child rapists under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, 2012, so that the heart-wrenching Dhuri horror was not repeated ever,” said Arora demanding the setting up of fast-track court to ensure expeditious justice delivery to the innocent victims.
In an emotion-charged letter, Arora said that the rape of the four-year-old girl in Dhuri by none other than the school bus conductor was such a painful occurrence that it had brought disgrace to the entire human race.
AAP MLA pointed that taking cognizance of such heinous crime and making the law in place more effective, the Union Cabinet had brought in an amendment in the POCSO Act 2012, which was unanimously adopted and passed by the Parliament in August 2018, and the state Assemblies of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana had also adopted the same amended POCSO Act.
“Punjab Government should also follow suit by adopting a resolution in the upcoming assembly session ensuring the award of death sentence for child rapists (up to the age of 12 years) and setting up fast track court to ensure faster delivery of justice to the victims as also to check the burgeoning crime in the state,” he said.
Arora said if the Captain Government failed to bring in the desired resolution to check the rising crime against children, the AAP would introduce a resolution in the upcoming Vidhan Sabha Session to ensure safety and security of children in the state.