From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Nov 3: Perturbed over the repeated incidents of sexual molestation and assaults on girl children in Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka, Women and Child Welfare Minister Umashree has favoured death penalty for rapists.

``A deterrent punishment to the perpetrators of the heinous crimes of sexual assault against girl children and women is needed,” she said.

The minister said that she will be writing to the Centre recommending necessary amendments in the law for awarding death penalty for those indulged in rape cases.

Umashree, who inaugurated a conference of women Self Help Groups (SHGs) on Monday, said that delegations from various segments of the society, especially student bodies such as ABVP, have been making a strong demand for stringent laws to deal with rapists.

``I personally feel the demand for capital punishment to the rapists is fair,” she said.

The Minister said: ``It is time we do whatever is necessary to instill a sense of fear to prevent he incidents of rapes.”

``People with perverted minds who commit sexual assaults on even small kids should be sent to gallows without any mercy,” the minister said while talking to reporters after the function.

Several women organisations and the general public have been demanding stringent laws.

``I want to convey this demand to Union Government and exert pressure from the state government to bring amendments to the law with provision for death penalty as the mandatory punishment for rapists,” the minister said.