The Rajya Sabha has passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2013, introducing tougher penalties for sexual crimes against women. This includes the death penalty for heinous rapes and a 20-year prison term for other cases. Acid attacks, stalking, voyeurism, and trafficking are now criminal offenses under the law.
The bill, passed by the Lok Sabha two days earlier, retained the age of consent at 18 after political consultations and rejected life imprisonment for acid attacks and lowering the age of consent to 16.
Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde described the legislation as a "tough" measure, acknowledging its potential long-term impact. The bill follows public outrage over the fatal December gang-rape of a Delhi medical student.
However, some recommendations from the Justice J.S. Verma panel, such as recognizing marital rape as a crime and excluding the death penalty for heinous rapes, were not included in the final bill.