Minister for rapists' public hanging, RSCPCR for HIV test

The Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Right (RSCPCR) here on Thursday suggested HIV test for alleged rapists, while a Minister demanded their castration and public hanging after several rape cases rocked the state this week.

While Bhanwarlal Meghwal, a Minister in the Ashok Gehlot government, demanded castration and death sentence for alleged rapists in public, the RSCPCR said the accused must be tested for HIV.

The Minister's remark came after a 6-year-old girl's body was found in bushes, some 300 metres from her school. She was raped and strangulated to death with her school belt on Sunday.

The RSCPCR remark follows testing HIV positive of a 4-year-old girl who was raped a few months back. The case has also underlined irresponsible behaviour of the police as the alleged rapist, identified as Sikander alias Jeevanu, was behind bar and they didn't know he was HIV positive.

Jaipur Police Commissioner Anand Srivastava said the jail authorities informed them that the accused was HIV positive and was undergoing treatment. "Hence, we warned the minor's family to get their daughter examined for sexually-transmitted diseases," he said.

Sikander, 36, who was arrested recently, had taken the girl to a deserted place and raped her.

The police confirmed the accused, a paedophile, was lodged in the jail. He had sexually assaulted around 50 children -- boys, girls as well as transgenders, the police said.

RSCPCR Chairperson Sangeeta Beniwal said the suggestion had been sent to the Chief Minister, the Social Justice and Empowerment Minister and the Director General of Police.

Irked over the spate of rape cases, Meghwal said, "Many countries are castrating the rapists. Our government and courts should also think of hanging such criminals to death in public and their castration."

The Minister blamed TV, internet and mobile phones for increasing cases of rapes. "People are getting misguided by TV, internet TV and mobile phone," he said.

BJP spokesperson Amit Goyal too demanded public hanging of rapists. "In fact, they should not be taken to court, but hanged right in open. Also, schools should introduce moral science chapters in syllabus to help the next generation know about them."

On Monday, another Minister B.D. Kalla had said the internet was promoting "perverted mentality" causing increased rape cases. The Centre should censor online content, he added.IANS