'Pocso Act amendment for boys victim before Cabinet soon'
New Delhi, July 22 : In an attempt to make gender neutral laws, the Women and Child Development Ministry has brought in amendments in the existing Pocso law to cover sexual abuse of the boy child and these will be sent for Cabinet approval very soon, a ministry official said.
"Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act has always striven to develop gender-neutral laws. While the Cabinet has already given its nod proposing death sentence for convicts raping girls below 12, the same has been proposed for boy victims," the official said.
The Law Ministry has cleared the amendments to enhance punishment in cases of sexual assault against young boys and it will be sent to the Cabinet in next 2-3 days, the official added.
Woman and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has been pushing for bringing in the amendment and had earlier also written to the states batting for equal rights to male child victims of sexual abuse.
Gandhi earlier had also supported a petition on Change.org by film-maker-activist Insia Dariwala, who said, "male child sexual abuse is an ignored reality in India".
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Badlapur accused Akshay Shinde shot dead: Lawyer of minor girls calls it 'killing of justice'
Mumbai (PTI): The gunning down of Badlapur case accused Akshay Shinde on Monday was the "killing of justice", said Asim Sarode, lawyer for the two minor girls he allegedly sexually assaulted.
Shinde was killed near Mumbra Bypass around 6:15pm when he allegedly snatched the gun of a policeman while he was being ferried in a police vehicle as part of a probe into a case registered on the complaint of his former wife.
After he shot and injured an API, another personnel from the escort team fired at him, and he was declared dead by doctors at a nearby hospital.
"While representing the two minor girls, I noticed it was becoming uncomfortable for the local politics of the Thane district and even for the educational institution where Akshay Shinde was working. Shinde's death in such a manner is killing of justice," Sarode told a regional news channel.
"Now, the case of sexual assault of the two minor girls will get sidelined. The case of these two minor girls was becoming difficult for the educational institute, as it is affiliated with a certain political family. Such a practice would lower the confidence of people in police and the judiciary," he claimed.
Sarode said he will be filing a plea before the Bombay High Court demanding thorough inquiry into the firing incident.
"Shinde's case could have brought up certain aspects that would have been negative politically for the government. I wonder how Shinde could access the gun and how he could unlock it when his hands were tied. This is political murder and is absolutely wrong," he said.
