Panaji: Goa’s Parliamentarian Shantaram
Naik on Wednesday said that rapist of minors should be awarded death
sentence and all the rape cases should be prosecuted within
six months through fast track courts.
Naik, a lone Rajya Sabha member from Goa, said
over phone from Delhi that the rapist of minors should be
subjected to death sentence and if required Indian Penal Code
(IPC) should be amended to include this provision.
The Rajya Sabha member was reacting to the rape on
nine-year-old Russian girl at Arambol beach on January 26
evening. Naik had earlier stirred hornet’s nest after his
statement on the floor of the house that rape of a lady who
moves with strangers for days together, even beyond middle of
the night, is to be treated on a different footing.
Naik, a Congressman, said that fast track courts or
special courts should be set up to deal with these cases,
which needs urgent justice.
Speaking about spate of rape cases in Goa, Naik said
that there is a wrong impression nationally that Goa
government is not doing much to control these offences.
"Thats not true.. Goa government is serious in
curbing such cases and has been working overtime to prevent
such crimes," he said.
Naik said that he will take up the issue of stringent
punishment to criminals raping minors during the next Rajya
Sabha session.
Goa, which had earned bad name after a local
politician allegedly raped 25-year-old girl, received another
setback for its image after mother of nine-year-old Russian
girl alleged that her daughter was raped by unidentified
person.
The incident that happened at Arambol beach on the
Republic Day is being probed by Russian woman at Pernem
police.
The police complaint mentioned that one man began
conversation with Russian mother while another raped her
daughter who was playing in the water.
PTI
