Make public hanging of rape-murder convicts compulsory: Lobo

Panaji: Goa minister Michael Lobo on Saturday demanded that public hanging of convicts in the rape-murder cases be made compulsory in the country for sending out a strong message in the society in order to curb crime against women.

He also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to bring amendments to the law to facilitate public hanging of such criminals.

His demand comes a day after all the four men, arrested for the rape and murder of a 25-year-old woman veterinarian in Hyderabad last month, were killed in an 'encounter' with police.

"Taking cognizance of the growing crime against women, PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah should make necessary amendments to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the Parliament in order to make capital punishment with public hanging compulsory for convicts in rape-and-murder cases," the Ports Minister told reporters here.

He said amendments should also be brought to set up fast track courts to ensure that justice is delivered to the victims within four months of the crime.

"The crime that happened in Telangana was not an ordinary one. It was not just a rape or murder, but a crime beyond imagination of any human being. This type of crime and those involved in such offences should not have any place in our society," the minister said.

"Such convicts need to be hanged publicly. A strong message has to go across all the men in India, who think law will not do anything and that they are beyond law," Lobo said.

"These men are not normal. They feel that whatever they do will go unchecked and unnoticed or someone will support them and they will come out. But that should not happen," he added.

Crime against women in India is on the rise only due to the failure in delivering justice on time and in the right manner, he said.