Deploring the rape and murder of a veterinarian in Hyderabad, Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday said that verdict in rape cases should be pronounced in as many months as the age of the victim and convicts should not be allowed to file mercy petitions.
Such heinous crimes against women show that "we have failed our daughters. It is high time we do something about it", Badal said.
She also said once death penalty has been granted to a culprit, there should not be any scope for filing a mercy petition.
Stressing on the importance of speedy trial and severe punishment, she said, "I urge the government that in rape cases judgement should be pronounced in number of months equivalent to the age of the victim. So if the victim is 20 years old, the trial should be concluded in 20 months."
Later in a series of tweets, Badal said, "Enough is enough. We need to come out with out of box solutions to protect our daughters. I advocate smaller the age faster the conviction. If a 4-yr-old is raped the rapist be convicted in 4 months. Hon'ble courts can associate competent lawyers to assist in quick judgements."
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