Mumbai, April 5 Nationalist Congress Party leader Sunil Tatkare said on Sunday that individuals with "malicious tendencies" should be tried in fast-track courts, and if warranted, should be given the death penalty.
He was responding to queries about self-proclaimed godman Ashok Kharat, who was arrested last month after a married woman accused him of repeatedly raping her over a period of three years. A subsequent investigation uncovered a series of crimes, including sexual assault and financial irregularities related to land and other properties.
The government should conduct a thorough investigation through the SIT and take stringent action against anyone found to have direct or indirect links to the issue, the Raigad Lok Sabha MP said.
"Individuals with malicious tendencies should be tried in fast-track courts, and if warranted, should be given the death penalty. Such behavior should not merely be suppressed but dealt with decisively under the law," Tatkare said.
He was speaking to reporters after visiting the Tuljabhavani Temple in the Osmanabad district, which is about 400 kilometers from the metropolis.
