Rape victims' parents demand death penalty for all accused
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 22 2018:
Referring to the ordinance approved by the
Union Cabinet yesterday allowing the Courts to pronounce the
death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years
old, mother of the Patsoi Part III rape victim demanded death
penalty be awarded to all those convicted of raping minor girls
irrespective of age.
Talking to
The Sangai Express,
the victim's mother
contended that Chongtham Anand (34) s/o (L) Yaima of
Patsoi Part III taking advantage of seclusion allegedly
raped her 13 years old daughter after entering their resi-
dence on October 25 of last year.
She said that her daughter narrated the ordeal to the
family members on the day itself and a complain was filed
at Patsoi police station on the next day.
She said that admitting his guilt, Anand surrendered
before the police on October 27 and he is currently lodged
in jail.
While welcoming the ordinance cleared by the Union
Cabinet, she made an observation that awarding death pen-
alty against those convicted of raping children up to 12 years
old indicates that children above 12 years old are still vul-
nerable to rape and other forms of sexual assault.
The victim's mother a tailor by profession said that her
husband who works in a brick field is looking after the
family, including education for their three children - two
daughters and a son.
She expressed sorrow that her daughter
has been reeling under mental trauma following the incident.
Speaking to this daily, father of a 13-year-old girl who
was allegedly gang raped in a moving van in Bishnupur
district on February 13 last said that his daughter was
called out by some unidentified persons and taken inside
the vehicle at around 6.30 pm.
He claimed that his daughter was abandoned near
Thanga Government High School after allegedly raping
her.
He said that his daughter first informed about the
incident to the chowkidar of the school, who then shared
the information with the family members.
He identified the accused as Heisnam Lanboi s/o Budhi
of Thanga Heisnam Leikai; Heisnam Hoking s/o
Surchandra and Heisnam Bidyananda s/o Nando of the
same locality.
According to him, Keibul police informed
the family members that all of them have surrendered on
February 14 and 15.He said that Lanboi's family mem-
bers had tendered a deep apology to the family members
on February 13 midnight.
Informing that all the accused are being kept at Nambol
juvenile home, the victim's father wondered how can they
be considered as juveniles when they possessed voter
cards.
He said that his daughter who is the youngest
amongst the four siblings, is a bright student who always
stood first in studies since Nursery standard.
He also
mentioned that the victim also bagged a special award in
an open debate competition held in the locality.
He is also
of the view that all the rapists should be awarded death
penalty so that such a heinous crime does not recur.
Arambam Robita, secretary of Young Women Help Or-
ganisation asserted that it is high time for the Government
to come up with strong measures to deter the alarming rate
of crimes against women in the State.
She observed that
many sexual offenders get lesser degrees of punishment in
absence of an effective anti-rape law in the State.
Mention may be made that women's wing of All Manipur
Students' Union (AMSU) had staged a sit-in-protest at
Keishampat Leimajam Leikai community hall on April 9
demanding the Government to enact an anti-rape law to curb
the rampant crime against women in the State.
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