The Tamil Nadu government would "request the centre to amend laws to ensure maximum punishment of death penalty and chemical castration for those responsible for rape," she said in a statement here.
Her call came in the wake of the death of the Delhi gang-rape victim that has sparked nationwide protests and demand for stringent punishment for crimes against women.
Jayalalithaa said her government would implement several measures for women's safety and prevent sexual harassment.
The steps include changes in the Goondas Act, establishment of fast-track courts in all 32 districts of the state to deal with sexual assault cases, deployment of police personnel in plain-clothes at market places and women's colleges, funding entire medical expenses of women who suffer sexual assault and programmes for their rehabilitation.
