The Union Cabinet on April 21 approved an ordinance to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 to introduce death penalty for rape of children younger than 12 years. The ordinance will be effective subject to approval in the Parliament within the next six months.
Bollywood actor and producer, Anushka Sharma affirmed that she is in ‘1,000 per cent’ support of the ordinance. Sharma said that she was happy with the ordinance and that she believed that the harshest and the most stringent punishment should be meted out to someone ‘who spoils something as innocent as a child.’
The Sui Dhaga actor expressed her opinion on the Kathua case, in which an eight-year-old was held captive in a temple, and allegedly drugged and raped multiple times before being killed.
“Like every one in the country, I am deeply hurt by the incident. Even now when I think about it, I feel disgusted and extremely emotional. Like I said in my statement earlier, the most severe punishment has to be meted out to the people involved.”Anushka Sharma spoke at the Standard Chartered Banking event.
Anushka Sharma was announced the new brand ambassador for Standard Chartered Bank and was speaking to the media at the event.
The POCSO Act was intended to protect children from offences of sexual abuse, sexual harassment and pornography and to offer a child-friendly process and environment during the trial of these offences.
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