INDIA, Posted on Jan 04, 2013

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Friday met Director Generals of Police and Home Secretaries from all the states over providing more security to women. Several aspects of crimes against women were discussed at the meeting in the national capital.

According to sources, the states said at the meeting that they were not in favour of awarding death penalty to rapists. Sources said that there was a consensus in the meeting that in cases of rape, the punishment should be life term, which is as long as the convict is alive.

They further said that some states also suggested amending the Juvenile Justice Act to lower the juvenile age from 18 to 16.

Later, addressing a press conference after the meeting in the national capital, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde conceded that conviction rate in cases of crime against women was low, and the time had come for the police to get stricter.

Shinde also reiterated his stand on increasing the number of women police officials, saying the women representation in police force should be increased.