8-month-old rape case: Centre not in favor of death penalty

New Delhi [India], Feb 1 (ANI): The Central government on Thursday submitted a report before the Supreme Court, saying that the 'Union of India' did not favor death penalty in connection with the rape of an eight-month-old girl by her cousin.

"We are in not favor of death penalty in the eight-month-old girl rape case," Additional Solicitor General (ASG) P. S. Narasimha told the Apex Court three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra.

The apex court was hearing a petition filed by a lawyer, Alakh Alok Srivastava, seeking harsher punishment which should act as a deterrent for those brutal offenders, allegedly committed sexual offenses with girls in the age group of 0-12 years.

To this, the CJI asked, the petitioner as to what kind of punishment he was seeking.

"There should be death penalty in such kind of cases where the victims are children between the age group of 0 to 12," said Srivastava.

"The punishment should be harsher and should act as a deterrent. It would also send a right message across the society," Srivastava told ANI after the hearing was over.

The apex court also wanted to know from the petitioner lawyer, as to how many cases are pending across India in such types of cases where the victims are in the age group between 0 to 12.

The apex court, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, was hearing the petition filed by Srivastava, seeking a direction from the Top Court for sentencing the brutal offenders, who are involved in such kind of brutal sexual offences with girls in the age group of 0 to 12, to the gallows. (ANI)