Juvenile Justice Bill: Gangrape victim's parents meet Rahul Gandhi, seek Congress support

New Delhi: Parents of the December 16 gang-rape victim today met Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi seeking his party's support for the passage of the Juvenile Justice Bill in Rajya Sabha.

After the meeting, the victim's mother Asha Devi said she had been assured by Gandhi that his party would support the bill in Rajya Sabha today. Earlier, the parents met Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi at his residence. After meeting Naqvi, they said they have been assured by the minister that the bill would be passed in Rajya Sabha today.

The mother of the December 16 gang-rape victim said there has been enough discussions. "The bill should be passed today. I have been assured that it will be passed today. Our struggle is to get this bill passed," she said, adding that she will like to go to Rajya Sabha, if a pass is arranged, to see it getting passed.

The amendments to Juvenile Justice Act will allow children between 16-18 years to be tried as adults in heinous crime cases. The Bill has been passed by Lok Sabha and is pending before Rajya Sabha where it is listed today.