India to introduce life-sentence, death penalty for mob-lynching, gang rape

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - India on Friday announced new punishments for rape and mob-lynching.

The government proposed three bills in parliament in order to replace British-era laws on criminal justice.

Addressing the lower house of parliament, Home Minister Amit Shah said the aim of the proposed laws is to provide justice.

"I can assure the House that these bills will transform our criminal justice system. The aim will not be to punish, it will be to provide justice,” he said, according to the Press Trust of India reported.

The proposed amendments would introduce the death penalty for mob lynching and a minimum 20-year prison term to a life-term for gang rape.

"The changes were done to provide speedy justice and creating a legal system that keeps contemporary needs and aspirations of the people," said Shah.

"The government is committed to making a comprehensive review of the framework of criminal laws to provide accessible and speedy justice to all...," he added.

The latest move comes as the government is reeling from opposition pressure over the Manipur rape case.

In July, a video of two women stripped and paraded naked by a mob in the northeastern state of Manipur went viral, creating uproar among the public.