Competitive Exams: Current Affairs 2012: Draft Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2012

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  • The highlights of the Bill include-replacing the word “rape” wherever it occurs by the words ‘sexual assault’ to make the offence of sexual assault gender neutral, and also widening the scope of the offence sexual assault.
  • The punishment for sexual assault will be for a minimum of seven years which may extend to imprisonment for life and also fine for aggravated sexual assault, i.e. … by a police officer within his jurisdiction or a public servant/manager or person talking advantage of his position of authority etc. The punishment will be rigorous imprisonment which shall not be less than ten years which may extend to life imprisonment and also fine.
  • The age of consent has been raised from 16 years to 18 years in sexual assault. However, it is proposed that the sexual intercourse by a man with own wife being under sixteen years of age is not sexual assault.
  • Provision for enhancement of punishment and for making acid attack a specific offence have been made. Courtesy: The Hindu