New Delhi: Considering clean antecedents of a youth held guilty of trying to rape a woman, a Delhi court has sentenced him to two years in jail for an offence that entails a minimum jail term of seven years.
"The convict is admittedly a young man with no criminal past. He is convicted for attempt of rape. Keeping in view the mitigating as well as aggravating circumstances in the present case and also the weak financial status of the convict, I, hereby sentence the convict to undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years..." said Additional Sessions Judge Mamta Tayal, while sentencing construction worker Deepak. Deepak was held guilty of trying to rape a fellow worker at a construction site near Delhi Cantt in the wee hours on July 25, 2010. According to the prosecution, Deepak had caught hold of the victim when she had gone to relieve herself and as she put up resistance, Deepak punched her in her eye. He also assaulted the victim`s husband, who came to her rescue, with an iron rod. The victim`s medical report corroborated her claims of assault.
The court rejected Deepak`s contention that the victim`s husband had attacked him with a burning log of wood objecting to him playing music in the night and that he had in self defence hit him and his wife back with the same log. The court found that there were no burn marks on Deepak`s body or on that of the victim or her husband. Deepak`s counsel pleaded that he be released on the basis of imprisonment already undergone for being a victim of circumstances, but the court rejected his plea. PTI