New Delhi: The Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of a man in a 39-year-old rape case, bringing long-awaited justice to the survivor and her family.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sanjay Karol overturned a 2013 Rajasthan High Court verdict that had acquitted the accused. The judges expressed deep concern over the long wait for justice.
Case Background
In 1986, a 21-year-old man raped a minor girl.
A trial court in 1987 convicted him and sentenced him to seven years in jail.
The case went through multiple appeals, ending in the Rajasthan High Court, which acquitted him due to a lack of strong witness statements.
Supreme Court’s Observations
The minor remained silent in court but shed tears when asked about the assault.
The judges ruled that a child’s silence due to trauma should not be held against her.
The court stated that medical and circumstantial evidence were sufficient for conviction.
It also criticized the Rajasthan High Court for naming the survivor in its verdict.
The accused has been ordered to surrender within four weeks to serve his sentence if he has not already done so.
