Early Times Report
Jammu, May 31: Principal Sessions Judge Reasi S R Gandhi today awarded 10 years Rigorous Imprisonment and fine of Rs 25000/- to Ranjeet Singh son of Pritam Singh for raping a minor.
According to prosecution case on December 31, 2009 mother of the victim lodged a written report at the Police Post Ban Ganga alleging that on the previous night at 11 pm her daughter ( name withheld) had gone to fetch water at Dhaba More and at the time when she was fetching water accused came there and caught hold of her daughter and took her towards the bushes and then he committed forcible rape upon her. She returned to house and narrated the whole incident to her. On the basis of this report FIR No.178/2009 under section 376 RPC was registered in the Police Station Katra.
Principal Sessions Judge Reasi SR Gandhi after hearing Public Prosecutor Rashi Baru for the state observed that rape is thus not only a crime against the person of a woman (victim), it is a crime against the entire society. It destroys the entire psychology of a woman and pushes her into deep emotional crisis. It is only by her sheer will-power that she rehabilitates herself in the society which, on coming to know of the rape, looks down upon her in derision and contempt. Rape is, therefore, the most hated crime. It is a crime against basic human rights and is also violative of the victim's most cherished of the fundamental rights, namely, the Right to Life contained in Article 21.
"To many feminists and psychiatrists, rape is less a sexual offence than an act of aggression aimed at degrading and humiliating women. The rape laws do not unfortunately, take care of the social aspect of the matter and are inept in many respects," the Court observed.
The Court further observed that the victim was a poor minor girl. Her age was above 12 years and below 14 years. She was working as a maid in the house of the convict. But he took the advantage of his dominating position and committed forcible rape upon her. He did not even allow the trial to go smoothly as he remained absconding for about 3 ½ years. The mitigating circumstances as projected by the convict are common in nature and one would hardly find a person who is not confronted with such situation in the life. In my considered view the convict does not deserves any leniency. Keeping in view the observations made by the Apex Court, the aggravating and the mitigating circumstances, it is ordered that for the commission of offence under Section 376 RPC convict Ranjeet Singh S/o Pritam Singh R/O Village Purana Daroor Banganga District Reasi shall undergo rigorous imprisonment for ten (10) years and a fine of Rs.25,000/-. The fine amount, if realized, shall be paid to the victim as compensation.
The Court also recommended that compensation in terms of Section 545-A CrPC read with J&K Victim Compensation Scheme, 2013 made vide SRO 229 dated 23rd April, 2013 and Schedule-I to Notification SRO 394 dated 09.09.2013 may also be granted to the victim- prosecutrix. |
