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Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. All the accused in the Hyderabad case has been
On the last day of November, a rape incident oc- caught by the police and they have confessed their
curred in Narela area of outer Delhi with a nine-year- crime before the police. However, the matter is not
old girl. The girl was playing near the house, when an limited only to their capture or confession. The point
unknown person reached there and lured her to a is, how long will these criminals continue to commit
deserted area and raped her. The accused also tried such barbaric crime and the victims will keep knock-
to take the girl’s life by strangling her with a belt and ing the doors of the court in the hope of justice. In the
threw her in the bushes considering her dead. Later, Telangana case too, the whole country is demanding
a passer-by saw the girl and informed the police. This the hanging of these accused as well.
incident shows that criminals do not fear the law.
There is anger in the country after the Hyderabad WHAT THE LAW SAYS?
incident. From Parliament to the road, questions are The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018 was passed
being raised due to the delay in the decision in rape in Parliament last year. According to the law, there is
cases. Fast-track courts have been opened at most a provision of the death penalty, 20 years of impris-

Police have arrested four men in
their 20s in connection with the
gangrape and murder of the doctor

places for speedy disposal of cases of rape and sexual onment, life imprisonment on raping a girl under 12
harassment of women. Are verdicts by fast track court years of age. Apart from this, there is a provision of at
really deliver justice quickly? Probably not. The pur- least 20 years of rigorous punishment or life impris-
pose of creating a fasttrack court was to deliver justice onment if found guilty of raping a girl aged between
quickly but this has not happened. 12-16 years. In case of rape with an adult, the accused
There is anger across the country in Cyberabad can be punished with 10 years imprisonment and the
(Telangana) over the issue of raping a female veteri- provision of the death penalty on murder. In case of
narian and then brutally burning her. Even after the accused is under the age of 16, he can be sent to a child
Nirbhaya incident, there was similar anger in the correction home.
country. The protest movement lasted for a few days All parties agreed to pass this bill in Parliament.
and then dozens of similar incidents took place. Under the new law, no one can ask the victim ques-

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