As voices are growing louder for harsher punishment to juvenile offenders in the wake of the sentencing of one of the perpetrators of the December 2012 New Delhi gang rape-cum- murder, Union Minister of State for Home, R.P.N. Singh on Sunday said the issue needed to be looked into. Referring to the anguish and anger of the victim’s parents — as well as the people — over Saturday’s verdict by the Juvenile Justice Board which handed him a three-year sentence, the Minister said their feelings could be understood but “we in the government cannot act in anger and have to follow rule of the law.”
There was some satisfaction as the accused was found guilty of rape and murder and given the strictest possible punishment under the juvenile justice law, Mr. Singh said. However, whether juveniles involved in heinous crimes should get harsher punishment or laws should be made stricter is was a serious question which needed to be looked into.
Asked what should be the age to define a juvenile, Mr. Singh told journalists here that even Justice J.S. Verma had not recommended lowering the age of juveniles — 18. (The Verma committee was set up to suggest ways to make anti-rape laws stricter.)
Reacting to the arrest of godman Asaram Bapu by the Jodhpur police in a child rape case, Mr. Singh said law was equal for everyone. Though it was a matter among Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the Central government kept a close watch. While describing the arrest of alleged Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal as significant, the Minister neither confirmed and nor denied news reports pointing to the role of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence in the outfit’s activities in the country. He said the government would not rest content until the last terrorist was arrested, “be it in our country or on foreign shores”
