President signs ordinance to give death penalty for rape of children below 12 years

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday signed the ordinance for providing stringent punishment, including the death penalty, for those convicted of raping girls below 12 years of age. Earlier, the Union Cabinet on Saturday cleared the ordinance and was waiting for the President’s approval. The move comes after the recent incident of gangrape and cruel murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir sparked an outrage and protests across the Indian Union.