While refusing to interfere with the trial court’s decision, Justice SP Garg of Delhi High Court said that, the convict, a vegetable seller “deserves no leniency particularly when the victim was aged about five years and was like his daughter”, and uphold the 10 year jail term awarded to a man for raping a five-year-old girl in his rented accommodation in New Delhi in 2007.
Earlier appellant was convicted based on the testimony of the minor girl (victim). Victim in her court statement identified the appellant to be the preparatory of the crime. High Court while hearing the appeal observed that, “since the perpetrator of the crime was known to the victim and belonged to their native place, he deserves no leniency particularly when the victim was aged about five years like his daughter. Sentence of ten years cannot be termed excessive”.
Court further observed that, “no ulterior motive was assigned to her for making a false statement against him. The accused did not deny his presence inside his house at the relevant time. Victim aged about five years is not expected to level serious allegation of rape against an innocent one who lived in her neighborhood. There was no previous animosity to falsely rope him in this case.”