'13 people sentenced to death for minor rape in MP'

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday confirmed that a total of 13 individuals have been sentenced to death in connection with the raping of minor girls in the state.

Madhya Pradesh was the first state to promulgate a law to award death penalty to individuals accused in rape of minor girls. The law, which awards the death penalty to rapists of girls below the age of 12, was unanimously passed in the state assembly in December last year.

Addressing the media here, Chouhan said, "As per the provisions to penalise such culprits with the harshest of punishment, 13 people have so far been sentenced to death."

Speaking on the steps being taken to put a stop to such incidents in the future, Chouhan said, "On one hand, we are imparting lessons and inculcating the right values, and on the other hand, strict punishments, a culmination of the two will help us prevent such incidents from happening."

When asked to comment on the death penalty awarded to two culprits earlier today, Chouhan said, "Today I can say that my heart is satisfied."

The two accused, Irfan and Asif, had abducted a seven-year-old girl from her school in Hafiz colony in Mandsaur in June this year. The duo then tortured and raped the girl before killing her and throwing her body at a secluded spot in the city.

Following the incident, the two men were arrested, while a Special Investigation Team was set up to investigate the matter. The two accused were awarded the death sentence by a special court in Mandsaur earlier today.