Sexual offenders should be tracked once released: Maneka Gandhi

Ahead of the release of the juvenile convict involved in the December 16 gangrape, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi today said that she has written to the Home Ministry demanding that those accused of sexual abuse and having served a sentence, should be tracked once released.

The parents of the December 16 gangrape and murder victim had recently demanded that the face of the juvenile, who was considered the "most brutal" of all the six offenders, should be shown to the world before he is released as "he is a threat to the society".

"You know the issue is not of that particular individual, the point is that I have written to the Home Ministry saying that there should a tweaking of the law in which every person accused of sexual abuse, who has served a time and has come out should have to report to the police station and he should be monitored," said Gandhi.

According to a senior official, Gandhi has sought that a registry of sexual offenders be maintained and put in public domain.

Parents of the victim have made representations to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh stating that the juvenile set to be released is a threat to the life and liberty of the common man and that there should be a mechanism to keep a strict check on them so that people are not subjected to any risk of being harmed.

Based on the parents' complaint, the NHRC has issued notices to the Centre and Delhi government.

The Commission has asked the Chief Secretary, in Delhi government to inform whether any pre-release and post release plan as per Rule 17(3) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, 2007 has been prepared in the case of the juvenile.

Information has been also sought on whether the juvenile has been recently subjected to psychological or psychiatric assessment for assessing his mental health.

The Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs has also been asked to inform about the action, if any, taken on the representation submitted by the complainants.