Shivraj Singh Chouhan
“The Madhya Pradesh government will ensure that criminals involved in the rape of minor girls get death penalty,” said Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The move comes after a spurt in crimes against minors in the state. "Chouhan has directed the authorities concerned to ensure capital punishment for those involved in raping minor girls," said a public relations department official.
The chief minister had yesterday held a meeting to review the law and order situation in the state. Chouhan had praised the police for swift action in the case of a nine-year-old girl's rape in Sagar district where the convict was awarded death sentence within 46 days of the incident.
The crime was committed on May 21 this year and charges were framed last week. On July 7, a court at Rehli in Sagar district awarded death sentence to the 40-year-old accused. Chouhan also asked the officials to follow the case in higher courts for ensuring speedy trial and said that he would himself monitor such cases every fortnight.
A similar case that shook the entire state was the gangrape and attempted murder of an eight-year-old girl in the state's Mandsaur district on June 26. The victim suffered severe injuries to her neck, face, head and private parts in the incident, and is being treated at the state-run Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital in Indore. Both the accused in the case have been arrested and the police have filed a charge sheet against them.
