-PTI New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Friday overturned the acquittal of 20 people in the 2010 Mirchpur Dalit killing case while observing that instances of atrocities against Scheduled Castes had not abated even after 71 years of Independence. The court upheld the conviction of 13 people by a trial court and enhanced the punishment of some of the convicts. A 60-year-old Dalit and his physically challenged daughter were burnt alive by members...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved guidelines for granting special remission to certain categories of prisoners, including women, transgenders and the differently abled, as part of commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. According to the decision, women and transgender convicts who are at least 55 years old and have completed half their sentences will be granted the remission and set...

  There is some bad news for the world’s largest democracy. Thanks to the vitiated atmosphere induced by troll attacks on scribes on social media, among other things, the country's World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) ranking has fallen two places to 138th position.   Among 180 countries, India ranked 136th last year with a score of 42.94. However, in 2018 it attained 138th position with a score of 43.24 according to the...

-The Hindu The focus must be on enhancing rape conviction rates and taking steps to rehabilitate and empower survivors Amid belligerent demands for capital punishment for rapists, on Sunday the President signed an ordinance that introduces the death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12. But this clamour for introducing the most stringent punishment has conveniently sidestepped the more cogent criticism of the systemic failures in addressing...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: In the wake of public outrage over the Kathua rape-and-murder case where the victim was a minor, the Cabinet is likely to consider an ordinance on Saturday to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to provide for the death penalty for the rape of children below the age of 12. The ordinance is being initiated to enforce the amendment immediately before a...