Maliwal to go on indefinite hunger strike seeking death penalty for child rapists

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal will sit on an indefinite hunger strike from Friday at the Rajghat to demand for swift capital punishment for child rapists.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maliwal alleged that the government has not paid any heed in the last 2.5 years on the Commission's request to devise a system that ensures that those who rape minors are punished by death in six months time.

"The DCW has been petitioning you for the last 2.5 years to devise a system that ensures that those who rape minors are punished by death in six months time. We also sent you 5.5 lakh letters of support to back back this demand," Maliwal wrote.

The DCW chief said she was saddened as the Prime Minister did not take any action on this sensitive subject.

Citing Unnao and Kathua rape incidents, Maliwal said, "You are observing one-day fast for strengthening the democracy, but how will it be strengthened if women are not safe?"

An eight-year-old Muslim nomadic girl was allegedly abducted, drugged, raped, tortured and killed Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. After being missing for a week, her body was found on January 17.

A special team of Jammu and Kashmir crime branch has made a case of conspiracy, kidnapping, wrongful confinement, gang rape, murder and destruction of evidence against eight accused, which include four policemen.

However, the lawyers of Jammu Bar Association have demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the case. They have questioned the credibility of the Crime Branch officials, who according to them are mostly from Kashmir.

In Uttar Pradesh's Unnao, an 18-year-old woman has alleged she was raped by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his accomplices last year. Since then, she and her family have been intimidated and threatened for lodging a complaint against the BJP leader. The complainant's father has died in the police custody.