Show no mercy to rapists: SC

NEW DELHI: Talking tough on violence against women, the Supreme Court has asked the courts to show no leniency on sentencing in rape cases. A bench comprising Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice P Sathasivam said, “the sentencing courts are expected to consider all relevant facts and circumstances bearing on the question of sentence and proceed to impose a sentence commensurate with the gravity of the offence.

Courts must hear the loud cry for justice by the society in cases of the heinous crime of rape of innocent helpless girls of tender years and respond by imposition of proper sentence. Public abhorrence of the crime needs reflection through imposition of appropriate sentence by the court”.

To show mercy in the case of such a heinous crime would be a travesty of justice, court said. Justice Pasayat, writing the verdict, said, “the measure of punishment in a case of rape cannot depend upon the social status of the victim or the accused. It must depend upon the conduct of the accused, the state and age of the sexually assaulted female and the gravity of the criminal act. Crimes of violence upon women need to be severely dealt with.

The socio-economic status, religion, race, caste or creed of the accused or the victim are irrelevant considerations in sentencing policy. Protection of society and deterring the criminal is the avowed object of law and that is required to be achieved by imposing an appropriate sentence”. The apex court set aside an order of the Jodhpur bench of Rajasthan high court which had reduced the quantum of punishment to 7 years to a convict who had raped a minor girl. It restored 10 years of rigorous imprisonment awarded by the trial court.