The Rajya Sabha passed the Juvenile Justice Bill on Tuesday evening after hours of heated debate. Parliamentarians declared that offenders over 16 years of age would be tried as adults in case of crimes such as murder and rape. The parents of Jyoti Singh, who was raped and murdered in Delhi on December 16, 2012, watched from the galleries as the members of Parliament discussed the bill. They had earlier been assured by BJP MPs that the Centre would pass the bill on Tuesday. It was passed in the Lok Sabha in May this year amid heavy criticism from some MPs.
Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi made an appeal to consider convicts above 16 years of age for harsher punishments than was earlier allowed under the Act in the case of heinous crimes. Gandhi said heinous crimes include rape, murder, acid attacks and kidnapping for ransom. The maximum sentence for a minor convict was three years, and was awarded to one of Singh’s rapists, who finished his jail time on Sunday amid fierce protests.
Gandhi also said that the Bill was gender neutral, and that stricter laws would yield results, claiming more women started reporting sexual assaults after rape laws were changed post the December 16 incident.
Earlier, Congress lawmaker Anand Sharma had asked the house to clarify what heinous crimes meant and questioned whether merely changing laws would make a difference. He said the role of society was equally important in reducing the frequency of such crimes.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said if the Juvenile Justice Act is not more stringent, people like terror convict Ajmal Kasab or underworld don Dawood Ibrahim would walk free, given that they committed major crimes as minors.
While the house began voting, the Left parties staged a walkout, saying the law was being passed on the basis of sentiments.
After the bill was passed, Singh's mother Asha Devi said she was satisfied that the bill had been passed, but sad that her daughter did not get justice, as the convict in her case only served a three-year sentence.
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