Court Imposes 20-Year Sentence Balancing Deterrence and Reform

A Delhi court has sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping his teenage stepdaughter, emphasizing the need to balance deterrence and reformation of the convict.

Presiding over the case, Additional Sessions Judge Ankit Mehta addressed both aggravating and mitigating factors in determining the sentence. The man was convicted of rape under the Indian Penal Code and aggravated penetrative assault under the POCSO Act.

The court awarded the minor survivor Rs 10.5 lakh in compensation, stressing that sentencing should consider the severity of the offence and the convict's intentions. The judgment underlined the absence of a rigid formula for sentencing.

(With inputs from agencies.)