SC asks govt. to respond to plea for chemical castration of sex offenders
The Hindu
Supreme Court considers petition for chemical castration of sex offenders, ban on online pornography, and no bail for heinous crimes.
The Supreme Court on Monday sought the government’s response to a public interest litigation petition seeking a law for chemical castration of sex offenders, complete ban of free online pornography and no bail for persons accused of committing heinous crimes on women till trial commences.
A Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant directed the petition filed by the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association, represented by senior advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani, to be served on the Attorney General of India R. Venkataramani, whose assistance has been sought by the court.
Ms. Pavani said it had been 12 years since the brutal gangrape and murder of Nirbhaya, yet women do not feel safe.
The senior lawyer referred to the R.G. Kar case of rape and murder of a postgraduate doctor in Kolkata. She urged the court to frame pan India safety guidelines for women.
Justice Kant said suggestions such as chemical castration were “radical”. The Bench said crimes against women continue not because of lack of laws but due to poor enforcement.
The petition asked the court to direct the Law Commission of India to examine the introduction of a law which provides “chemical castration as a punishment to all convicts for sexual offences against women and children, and permanent castration for convicts sentenced to imprisonment for life and death penalty”.
Another suggestion included giving women access to the National Database on Sexual Offenders maintained by the National Crime Records Bureau. The petition proposed expedited six-month hearing of cases involving serious crimes against women by fast-track courts.
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