President Pranab Mukherjee has promulgated an ordinance on sexual violence against women under which rape leading to death of the victim can attract capital punishment.

A Home Ministry spokesman said that Mr Mukherjee gave his assent yesterday for amending the criminal law to effectively check crimes against women.

On Friday, the Union Cabinet recommended to the President to issue the ordinance providing for trial for death penalty if the rape victim dies or lapses into a persistent vegetative state and of imprisonment up to 20 years for rape.

The Cabinet decisions were based mostly on the recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee. The Committee, set up by the government in the wake of December 16 Delhi gang rape case, submitted its report suggesting ways to deal with the crimes against women.

The panel had also suggested that crimes like stalking, disrobing a woman and voyeurism be treated as new offences with stringent punishment. It had also recommended broadening the definition of rape.

The ordinance proposes to replace the word 'rape' with 'sexual assault' to expand the definition of all types of sexual crimes against women. It also entails changes in the criminal law by amending Indian Penal Code, IPC, Code of Criminal Procedure, CrPC and the Evidence Act.

The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had assured that the government will take speedy action to implement the recommendations of the report.