Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 26: Presiding Officer of Fast Track Court, Y P Kotwal today awarded 21 years rigorous imprisonment and fine of Rs 70,000 each to Dawood Khan, of Surankote and Rajiv Kumar, of Beli Charana, who were facing trial for committing gang rape with pregnant woman.
After hearing APP GS Charak for the State whereas Advocate Rakesh Sharma appearing for the accused, Presiding Officer observed, “there is no extenuating or mitigating circumstances available on record for imposing minimum sentence or less than the minimum on the convict. Moreover, to show mercy in the case of such heinous crime, where woman, who is in the advance stage of her pregnancy has been raped by both the convict one after the other, would be travesty of justice and the plea of leniency is wholly misplaced”.
“It is duty of the court to properly operate the sentencing system and to impose such sentence for proved offence, which may serve as a deterrent for the commission of like offences by others”, the court said, adding “in view of annunciation of law and the factual matrix of the case, it is to be determined what would be the appropriate sentence to be imposed on the convict”.
“Any liberal attitude by imposing meager sentence or taking too sympathetic view merely on account of young age of the convict besides his economic condition or other irrelevant considerations will result counterproductive in the long run. To view such an offence once it is proved, lightly, is itself an affront to society”, the court said.
With these observations, court awarded 21 years rigorous imprisonment to both the accused and directed that the fine amount if realized from the convicts shall be paid to the prosecutrix as compensation.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel