India News

MP Assembly passes Bill for awarding death penalty for rape of girls aged 12 years or below

Published

9 years ago

December 4, 2017

MP Assembly passes Bill for awarding death penalty for rape of girls aged 12 years or below

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Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s cabinet had approved the Bill last week; NCRB 2016 report shows MP has highest incidence of rape in India

Days after a report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) revealed that Madhya Pradesh continued with its dubious distinction of the highest incidence of rape – including cases where the victims were minors – in the country, the state’s Assembly has unanimously passed a Bill that proposes death penalty for those guilty of raping girls aged 12 or below in the state.

The Bill, which will now be sent to the Centre which in turn has to then refer it to President Ram Nath Kovind for his assent, is titled Dand Vidhi (Madhya Pradesh Sanshodhan) Vidheyak, 2017.

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The passage of the Bill comes a week after the state cabinet, led by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, approved its draft for being tabled in the Vidhan Sabha.

The Bill proposes death penalty, life imprisonment till death or a minimum term of 14-year rigorous imprisonment for raping girls aged 12 or below – the quantum of punishment will follow the rarest of the rare principle and be granted after the presiding judge in the case factors in various aspects of the crime. For gang rape of girls aged 12 or less, minimum punishment has been increased to 20 years rigorous imprisonment while the maximum will be the death penalty.

It also proposes a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh against repeat offenders in cases of molestation, stalking or harassment besides the existing provision for a jail term. The Bill will also recognise ‘rape on the pretext of marriage’ as a separate category of crime against women that will be punishable at par with cases of rape.

The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, sources said, hopes that the stern provisions made under the Bill for sexual offences – especially against minor girls aged 12 years or below – will act as a deterrent for such crimes.

The government’s move to propose the radical changes to provisions in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) also comes at a time when the Shivraj Singh Chouhan administration is facing increasing attacks from the Congress-led Opposition and civil society groups over the unabated rise in crimes against women in the state.

For several years in a row, MP has retained its dubious distinction of recording the highest number of rape cases in the country. This, even as Madhya Pradesh under Shivraj Singh Chouhan was the state which coined the BJP’s poll slogan of Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao – a pitch for women’s empowerment and security.

According to the latest Crime in India report released by the National Crime Records Bureau Madhya Pradesh once again accounted for the highest number of rape cases in the country in 2016 – 4882 cases out of a total of 38947 registered rape cases. Uttar Pradesh with 4816 cases and Maharashtra with 4189 cases had ranked at the second and third spots respectively. MP had ranked number in the total cases of rape but with fewer cases – 4391 out of a countrywide total of 34556.

More worrisome, and also pertinent to the Bill passed by the MP Assembly on Monday, is the fact that as per the Crime in India 2016 report the state also ranked the highest in cases of rape (413) and gang rape (29) registered against juvenile while it ranked third highest in crimes registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

According to the NCRB report, Madhya Pradesh accounted for 4717 cases out of a countrywide total of 36022 cases registered under the POCSO Act. The only other states that fared worse than Madhya Pradesh in this category were Uttar Pradesh with 4954 cases and Maharashtra with 4815 such cases.

Speaking in the Assembly on the issue, Chouhan said those who rape minor girls do not have the right to live.

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APNLive Desk

The bank holiday on September 14 will affect branches in select cities across India as banks observe a regional holiday for Ganesh Chaturthi and related festival observances.

September 14, 2026, falls on a Monday and is listed as a holiday for Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganesh Puja, Varasiddhi Vinayaka Vrata, Vinayakar Chathurthi and Hartalika in certain banking centres.

Bank holiday on September 14: Full city-wise list

According to the holiday listings, bank branches will remain closed on September 14 in the following centres:

City	Festival/occasion
Belapur	Ganesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances
Bengaluru	Ganesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances
Bhubaneswar	Ganesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances
Chennai	Ganesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances
Hyderabad	Ganesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances
Mumbai	Ganesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances
Nagpur	Ganesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances
Panaji	Ganesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances
Vijayawada	Ganesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances

The holiday is therefore not applicable to bank branches across the entire country. Bank holidays in India vary by state and banking centre, depending on local festivals and occasions.

Why are banks closed on September 14?

September 14 marks Ganesh Chaturthi in 2026. The festival falls on Monday this year, with the date confirmed as September 14.

The banking holiday calendar uses different names for the observance across centres, including Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganesh Puja, Varasiddhi Vinayaka Vrata, Vinayakar Chathurthi and Hartalika.

The National Stock Exchange’s 2026 holiday circular also lists September 14 as a trading holiday for Ganesh Chaturthi.

Will online banking services work on September 14?

The closure applies to physical bank branches in the affected centres. Customers can generally continue to use digital banking channels such as mobile banking, internet banking and UPI, although specific services can depend on the bank.

Customers who need to visit a branch for cash deposits, withdrawals, account-related work or other in-person services should check the holiday status of their particular branch before visiting.

What about banks in other cities?

Banks in cities that are not covered by the September 14 regional holiday are not automatically closed because of Ganesh Chaturthi.

The bank holiday calendar is centre-specific, so customers should check their bank’s branch holiday schedule before planning a branch visit.

India News

Harish Rawat quits Congress posts after ED raid on aide

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat resigned from two Congress posts after the ED searched his aide Chandan Singh Jeena’s premises in a money laundering probe.

Published

23 hours ago

September 12, 2026

APNLive Desk

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat has resigned from two organisational positions in the Congress after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at the premises of his personal assistant, Chandan Singh Jeena.

Rawat announced his decision on Friday, saying he did not want the controversy surrounding his close associate to weaken the Congress’s campaign against corruption. He stepped down as a member of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee executive and as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee.

The ED searches were linked to a money laundering investigation concerning alleged irregularities in the 2016 Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari examination conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC).

What ED recovered from Rawat’s aide

The ED carried out searches at multiple locations in Dehradun, including premises connected with former UKSSSC officials, a private computer agency involved in processing OMR sheets and alleged middlemen.

According to the agency, its search of Jeena’s residence resulted in the seizure of Rs 32 lakh in unaccounted cash, gold coins and chains weighing around 200.5 grams, and 12 luxury watches.

The gold comprised 13 coins and seven chains. The watches included brands such as Rolex, Rado, Piaget, Movado, Tissot and Casio Edifice, according to the ED.

The agency also said bank accounts belonging to Jeena and his family members containing Rs 52.16 lakh were frozen. His mobile phone was seized for forensic examination.

The ED alleged that Jeena had made substantial cash expenditures for which no legitimate source of income could be established. It also said unaccounted cash, jewellery and other valuables were recovered from some former UKSSSC officials and associated individuals.

What is the UKSSSC exam case?

The ED’s money laundering investigation stems from four FIRs registered by the Uttarakhand Police and Vigilance Bureau over alleged irregularities in the 2016 Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari examination.

According to the agency, OMR answer sheets were allegedly removed from secure custody and taken to the residence of the commission’s then secretary. Roll numbers of under-filled answer sheets were recorded and passed to personnel of a private computer agency.

The ED has alleged that answer bubbles were subsequently filled or altered fraudulently before the sheets were resealed, with illegal payments allegedly routed through middlemen.

Jeena is currently serving as Rawat’s personal assistant. He had earlier served as Rawat’s officer on special duty when Rawat was Uttarakhand chief minister between 2014 and 2017.

What Harish Rawat said

Reacting to the allegations, Rawat said he found it difficult to believe that Jeena had been involved in wrongdoing. He acknowledged Jeena’s association with him and said the truth behind the allegations would emerge with time.

Rawat said that if evidence showed Jeena had tampered with OMR sheets in the recruitment examination, he would be ashamed of such conduct, while adding that he did not believe the allegation.

Explaining his resignation, Rawat said Uttarakhand politics was entering an election phase and that attempts were being made to create a narrative against him.

He said Congress and its workers were fighting corruption and that he did not want any action associated with him to weaken the party’s campaign. Since he did not hold a government position from which he could resign, he chose to step down from his organisational responsibilities in the party.