The Madhya Pradesh government has come up with a “reward system” to encourage state prosecutors to facilitate speedy trials and quick convictions in rape cases, The Indian Express reported on Sunday. The prosecutors are now awarded 1,000 points for a death sentence, 500 for life imprisonment and 100 to 200 for the maximum punishment in a lower court.
The prosecutors also receive tags like “best prosecutor of the month” and “pride of prosecution”, for those who have collected over 2,000 points a month. However, those who receive less than 500 points will get a strict warning. The assessments will be carried out through the eProsecution MP App, which was launched eight months ago.
“Now that the prosecutors are required to keep a daily account of their activities, the conviction rate has improved,” Director of Public Prosecution Rajendra Kumar told The Indian Express. “With the reward system in place, prosecutors now go the extra mile to log more points. Though there’s no monetary award yet, these achievements will be recorded in their annual confidential report.”
Asked what would happen if the higher court disagrees with the lower court’s ruling, Kumar said, “Only if the high court passes strictures, we will take a call on punishing the prosecutors.” He claimed that prosecutors were competing with each other since the new system was introduced two months ago.
In December, the Madhya Pradesh Assembly passed a bill that awards death penalty to rapists who assault minors aged 12 or below. But it remained pending with the Centre. In July, Parliament passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, providing for similar penalty.
Over the last six months, courts in Madhya Pradesh have handed down 10 death sentences. The high court has confirmed one so far.
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