Delhi High Court Affirms Sentence in Shanty Rape Case

The Delhi High Court has reinforced the 12-year prison term of a 24-year-old man convicted of raping a 60-year-old woman, highlighting the 'cogent' and 'consistent' nature of her testimony.

In a May 22 ruling, Justice Sanjeev Narula dismissed the convict's plea for a reduced sentence, citing the survivor's credible account and the convict's inebriated state during the heinous act. The court noted that the testimony remained unchallenged during cross-examination and did not display any weaknesses warranting its dismissal.

The incident occurred in June 2017 when the man broke into the woman's shanty and assaulted her. Despite his claims of anomalies in her account, the court upheld the credibility of her statement, supported by expert witnesses and DNA evidence, and ruled that public witness absence is not required in such secluded crimes.

(With inputs from agencies.)