14 years rigorous imprisonment for Dhaula Kuan rapist
14 years rigorous imprisonment for Dhaula Kuan rapistu00a0
Delhi, often called the rape capital of the country, couldn't shed its heinous tag even this time.
While a city court announced judgement in the sensational Dhaula Kuan rape case on Thursday, sentencing the rapist to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 20,000, the verdict came after a gap of four long years.
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Justice at last: A file photo depicts Delhi Police personnel escorting Ajit Singh Katiyar (centre with a sweater) who has convicted and given 14-years rigorous imprisonment for abduction and gang rape of a Delhi University student after a four year trial. Pic/MiD DAY |
Fair trial
The main accusedu00a0- Ajit Singh Katiyaru00a0- was booked guilty of gang rape, abduction, criminal intimidation, administering intoxicant and group liability. The three other accusedu00a0- Danda, Jat and Tappe - are still at large and were declared proclaimed offender during the course of the trial.
Delivering the sentence Additional Session Judge (ASJ) Neeraj Kumar Gupta said, "The scar of rape always remains in the mind of the victim and cannot be overcome throughout her life." The court also added gang rape is a beastly act which takes the essence out of the life of the victim.
Public prosecutor Ram Avtar Yadav while arguing the quantum of the punishment sought maximum punishment for the convict. While demanding no leniency should be granted to a sexual offender, he said, "The victim was raped six times in a moving car for over two hours under illegal detention."
He also referred to previous judgements passed by the apex court in cases of rape and sexual offences.
Defence counsel Manoj Sharma referring to the poor family background of the accused had sought leniency from the court on the grounds that he is the sole bread earner of the family and ailing parents.
In fact the court snubbed the defence counsel for saying the victim was involved in such practices and raising questions over her character. "The victim is not on trial and it is the accused who is on trial. Moreover, she (the victim) was consistent in all her statements," said the judge.
One of factors which played a crucial role in sentencing of the accused was the testimony of the victim who identified the rapist every time in the court as well as at Tihar Jail.
The victim and the trauma
A student of Delhi University from Mizoram, the 20-year-old victim was raped by the four men on May 8, 2005.
Though she relocated to Mizoram after the incident she never missed any call from the police and court to identify the accused. Besides the test identification parade she also identified her rapists at Tihar Jail and in the courtroom in front of the judge.
The girl, a resident of Shanti Niketan, was abducted by four men at midnight near Dhaula Kuan. She had gone to a nearby roadside eatery to buy food along with a friend. While her friend managed to escape the rapists, the girl was raped several times in a moving car. She was later dumped near Moti Bagh Gurudwara. Even though the Delhi police launched a massive manhunt it could never arrest the three accused.
1 rape Takes place in Delhi everyday, says official data
| Late verdict |
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Out of some of the most sensational rape cases in the capital, the one committed at Shanti Mukund Hospital got an early judgement and the guilty was awarded a life sentence. The rape, which took place in 2003, saw the verdict in 2005.
In the Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) rape case, the accused were held guilty after a period of three years in 2005. In this case also the accused were awarded life imprisonment. |
