Delhi Commission For Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal to End Her Indefinite Hunger Strike on Sunday as Cabinet Approves Death Penalty to Child Rapists

New Delhi, April 21: Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal on Saturday announced that she would break her indefinite hunger strike on Monday as the Union Cabinet approved an ordinanc

Written by: India.com News Desk

Updated: April 21, 2018, 8:11 PM IST

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https://www.india.com/news/india/delhi-commission-for-women-chairperson-swati-maliwal-to-end-her-indefinite-hunger-strike-on-sunday-as-cabinet-approves-death-penalty-to-child-rapists-3013573/ Copy

DCW Chief Swati Maliwal (File Photo)

New Delhi, April 21: Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal on Saturday announced that she would break her indefinite hunger strike on Monday as the Union Cabinet approved an ordinance to amend the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, news agency ANI reported. The ordinance recommends the death penalty for rapists of children below 12 years of age.

Maliwal has been on fast since April 13, demanding death penalty for rapists of children after the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua and other instances that took place recently.

Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal announces she would break her indefinite hunger strike tomorrow after Union Cabinet approved Ordinance for punishment for perpetrators of rape cases especially those against girls below 12 years & 16 years of age, today. pic.twitter.com/cvDtLR5QQi

— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2018

Earlier in the day, welcoming the Cabinet’s decision Maliwal,had said,”Until something concrete happens, I will not give up. Until a system is there which ensures safety for the last girl, I won’t give up.”

“When the Prime Minister can suddenly bring an ordinance without anybody knowing, when he can implement such a big project, then why can’t he do these few things? Till the time these are not done, my fast would not break,” she said, demanding the ordinance be immediately issued.

About the Union Cabinet’s ordinance: 

Union Cabinet approved an Ordinance to be promulgated to provide for stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape particularly of girls below 16 years age and below 12 years of age. In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the Union Cabinet has increased minimum punishment from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to life imprisonment while, in case of rape of a girl under 12 years of age, the minimum punishment of 20 years imprisonment or life imprisonment has been provided in the Ordinance.

Furthermore, minimum punishment in case ofrape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of 7 years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment whereas, in case of gangrape of a girl below 12 years, punishment will be life imprisonment or death sentence.