Indian state passes law imposing death penalty for rape

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An Indian state rocked by weeks of protests demanding justice following the rape and murder of a doctor passed a law on Tuesday that could lead to the execution of rapists.

Protests broke out in West Bengal after the blood-soaked body of a 31-year-old doctor was discovered in a government hospital in the capital, Kolkata, on August 9.

The law, which was passed by the State Assembly but has not yet been approved by the President, expresses outrage over the chronic problem of violence against women.

The new law in West Bengal is largely symbolic in nature, as the Indian Penal Code is uniform throughout the country.

However, with the approval of the President, an exception could be made and the regulation could be implemented into a state law.

The law increases the penalty for rape from the current minimum of ten years to life imprisonment or execution.

The doctor's murder sparked medical strikes and rallies across India, supported by thousands of citizens. However, many doctors have since returned to work.

Meanwhile, protests in West Bengal have turned into clashes between supporters of rival political parties, including the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Hindu nationalist BJP is in power at the national level but is in opposition in West Bengal. Both it and the AITC supported the new state law.

The cruelty of the attack has drawn comparisons to the horrific gang rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in the capital Delhi in 2012.

The 2012 incident became a major political issue and was seen as a factor in the BJP's subsequent electoral success.

Death sentences in India are often delayed by years of appeals. Executions are usually carried out by hanging.

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