Lok Sabha on Monday passed a crucial bill which promises to not just speed up investigations and trial but stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below the age of 12.

The bill sought to replace the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance promulgated on April 21, following an outcry over the rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and the rape of another woman at Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. Although the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2018 was welcomed by most members, some in the Opposition objected to the government adopting the ordinance route to enact the law.

The bill stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years.

The minimum punishment in cases of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment.

According to the bill, in case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict.

According to the bill, in case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict's "natural life".