The Delhi High Court has modified the punishment awarded by the trial court to five convicts of a 2014 gang-rape case, from life for the remainder of their natural lives to life imprisonment. According to the court’s 35-page judgment, the convicts’ sentences were modified considering their background, age, and expressions of remorse. With the exception of one convict, Aman, who had prior criminal records, the other convicts were first-time offenders. The court concluded that life imprisonment would be sufficient to meet the ends of justice for the offense under section 376(D) (gangrape) IPC.
This decision brings justice to the 2014 brutal gang-rape case, which prompted nationwide outrage and protests, leading to new laws against sexual offenses. The victim, a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern, was brutally assaulted and left on the side of the road to die. She later succumbed to her injuries in a hospital in Singapore.
The five men convicted in the case were sentenced to death by the trial court. However, the Delhi High Court upheld the death penalty only for one convict, while the other four were awarded life imprisonment in 2017. Now, the High Court has modified the sentence of all five convicts to life imprisonment, except for the one who got the death penalty.
The new sentence reflects the court’s consideration of the convicts’ background, strata of society they belong to, and their age. The court acknowledged the importance of rehabilitation in cases of first-time offenders and expressed satisfaction with the convicts’ expression of remorse. The new sentence brings some relief to the victim’s family, who had been fighting for justice for the last seven years.
The Delhi High Court’s decision has been widely welcomed by civil society and women’s rights groups. However, some critics have expressed disappointment over the reduced sentence and called for stricter punishment for perpetrators of sexual crimes. Overall, the judgment is seen as a reminder that justice must be served, but with compassion and an understanding of the complexity of criminal behavior and societal factors that contribute to it.
