Parties fail to reach a consensus on controversial anti-rape bill

[email protected] (CD Network)
March 18, 2013
New Delhi, Mar 18: An all-party meet to discuss the controversial anti-rape bill failed to reach a consensus Monday following differences over lowering the age of consent to 16 years, and making stalking and voyeurism punishable under the law.

Political parties will meet again at 12.30 p.m. to evolve a consensus on the issue.

rape“We had an all-party meeting in the morning on the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013. The ordinance was brought by the government and has to be replaced by a bill,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath.

“Largely there is consensus on contents of the bill, except that there are concerns about misuse and abuse of some of the provisions and parties have suggested there should be adequate measures for safeguard. And what those measures should be, we will discuss in the next few hours,” he said.

The minister said there were also differences over lowering age of consent to 16 years, from the present 18.

“There are also differences of opinion over the age of consent being (lowered to) 16 years. We will again be meeting at 12.30 p.m. and all issues will be discussed. And if required, the government will bring amendments along with the bill so that it can be put up for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha and then Rajya Sabha,” he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) have expressed reservations on the clause for lowering the age for consensual sex to 16 years.

Last week, the government managed to resolve the differences over the bill within the cabinet with a group of ministers debating controversial clauses threadbare.

The ministers differed on the use of word "rape" in place of "sexual assault", lowering of age of consent from 18 to 16 years and the definition of voyeurism and stalking, punishable under the bill.

The bill also proposes the death penalty in the rarest of rare cases for rape and for repeat offenders.

It also incorporated suggestions of the Justice J.S. Verma Committee, which was formed to offer suggestions on making anti-rape laws stronger.

The issue has been in sharp focus after the brutal assault and gang-rape of a 23-year-old woman in Delhi Dec 16 last year. She succumbed to her injuries Dec 29 in a Singapore hospital, where she had been airlifted for treatment.

The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013, will replace the ordinance promulgated by President Pranab Mukherjee Feb 3.

It has to be passed by April 4, within six weeks from Feb 21, when parliament's budget session started.

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News Network
January 17,2020

New Delhi, Jan 17: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia does not have any car on his name, according to information shared in the poll affidavit filed by him for Delhi elections.

In the affidavit, it is also shown that while his self-acquired immovable property remained roughly the same as in 2015. His wife's self-acquired immovable property is worth roughly about Rs 65 lakh, as per his latest affidavit.

In the papers submitted during the nomination for 2015 Delhi polls, the senior AAP leader had declared that he owned a Maruti Swift car of make 2013.

However, in his 2020 affidavit, he has mentioned "nil" in the column for motor vehicles and other means of transport.

In the affidavit submitted on Thursday, his moveable assets were declared worth Rs 4,74,888 for 2018-19, as against Rs 4,92,624 for 2013-14.

In 2015, Sisodia had informed in his affidavit that he had bought a property in Vasundhara, Ghaziabad, worth Rs 5.07 lakh in April 2001. The approximate current market value of self-acquired property in 2015 was Rs 12 lakh.

In his current affidavit, the AAP leader has mentioned the same property. However, the approximate current market value of self-acquired property in 2020 has increased to Rs 21 lakh.

In his affidavit for the 2015 polls, Sisodia had also said that his wife had purchased a property in March 2008 costing Rs 8.70 lakh. At that time, the approximate value of her self-acquired property was Rs 20 lakh.

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News Network
April 28,2020

Kozhikode, Apr 28: The remains of seven people who died in the Gulf countries were airlifted from Dubai by a cargo flight which arrived here Tuesday, ending the uncertainty over bringing back the bodies of those who died following non-Covid-19 reasons.

Airport sources said the flight reached the airport by around noon.

The bodies include natives of Kerala, one each of people from Goa and Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu.

"Karipur in among the few airports where cargo flights are operating in South India.

This is the reason why the bodies of those belonging to Goa and Sivaganga and other parts of Kerala have all been brought here for onward transport to respective destinations by road," an airport official said.

"As per information received from the airport, the bodies are of John Johannan of Kollam, David Shamy of Punnakkal, Kannur, Sathyan of Cheranelloor, Thrissur, O C Mathai and Sijo Joy, both of Pathanamthitta, Sreenivasan of Sivaganga and Henrick D Soza of South Goa," said Thomas, Assistant Sub Inspector, Special Branch CID, Malappuram.

Special passes have been issued to ambulances to transport the bodies to their destinations after the formalities at the airport are over, a senior police officer said.

There had been some confusion on bringing back the bodies from the Gulf region for about a week for want of clearance from the embassy authorities.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week seeking his intervention in ensuring that bodies of Keralites, who die in Gulf countries due to no non COVID-19 reasons, should be broughtto the state without any delay forenabling family members to perform their last rites.

Vijayan also wanted Modi to direct Indian Embassies to issue necessary clearances without seeking individual approvals from the Ministry of Home Affairs and avoid any delay.

The mortal remains are now being broughtin cargo planes as passenger flights are not being operated due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

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Agencies
February 26,2020

New Delhi, Feb 26: The death toll in northeast Delhi communal violence over the amended citizenship law rose to 20 on Wednesday, according to GTB Hospital authorities.

On Tuesday, the death toll was 13.

"The death toll has risen to 20 today," Medical Superintendent of GTB Hospital, Sunil Kumar, told PTI.

Earlier, at least four bodies were brought to the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital from the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, a senior official said.

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