India Must Review Sentencing Policies For Heinous Crimes: Zaiwalla

MUMBAI: A top international lawyer of Indian origin feels it is time for the country to review its sentencing policies when dealing with the most heinous crimes and serious offenders.

Sarosh Zaiwalla, senior partner of the London-based Zaiwalla and Co Solicitors said that while India should not emulate the U.S., which has among the harshest sentences even for juvenile offenders in the world, at the same time, it needs to offer a proper deterrent to criminals, to avoid a situation such as the Dec 16, 2012 gang-rape arising again.

"I think India needs to find a middle ground in this regard," he said in an emailed reaction to the recent verdict in the Delhi gang-rape case on the juvenile accused, and clamour from various quarters to treat as adults juveniles involved in heinous crimes.

Zaiwalla pointed out that from a purely practical level, India has upheld the letter of its law which states that juveniles who commit serious crimes, such as murder, get a maximum sentence of three years in a remand home.