JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Assembly on Friday unanimously passed a bill that provides for the death sentence to those convicted of raping girls aged 12 years or below.
Once the bill is passed into law, Rajasthan will become only the second such state, after Madhya Pradesh, where the rapists of girls of 12 years or below will face the gallows.
The Rajasthan government took the step in view of the rise in crimes against women and girls, in recent times in the state.
According to officials, the state government had started preparing for bringing this bill soon after the Madhya Pradesh government had introduced a similar bill in December last year.
Earlier, Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria had said that various departments of the state government were studying the bill passed by the MP government to prepare the draft.
Haryana Chief Minister Manoharlal Khattar has also hinted at bringing a similar law in his state given the increase in the number of rape cases there.