New Delhi: Rape and impregnation of a woman whose child died after birth has led a city court to observe that stringent steps need to be taken to check sexual exploitation of innocent girls as it sent a man to prison for seven years.
The court also expressed anguish over the 22-year-old youth for his "irresponsible" statement that the woman did not suffer as the child died, and said "the pain of bearing a child and giving birth has become a nullity (for the culprit) after child's death."
"A view which is likely to result in victimisation or exploitation of innocent girls needs to be avoided and the courts need to take a view which would discourage unscrupulous from taking advantage of innocent girls.
"If a view otherwise is taken, it will amount to putting premium on misconduct of men which is not only reprehensible and abhorable but also criminal in nature. If this is allowed to happen, it will enable immoral and dishonest persons to exploit girls," Additional Sessions Judge Anuradha Shukla Bhardwaj said.
The judge further said that courts "cannot and should not give a licence to those who keep on looking for opportunities to exploit the sentiments and vulnerability of girls.
On the convict's statement that the woman did not suffer any loss as the infant had died, the court pulled him up saying it was "an irresponsible statement."
"To him (convict), the pain of bearing a child and giving birth has become a nullity after the death of the child. Not only the woman suffered unwarranted physical assault committed by convict, she also lost her child, which would have definitely caused her mental trauma," it said.
The court sentenced UP native Rahul Tomar to seven years jail and imposing a fine of Rs 50,000 on him for offences of rape and criminal intimidation under the IPC.
It also directed that fine be paid as compensation to the victim and asked Delhi government to appropriately compensate her, observing that the convict "raped a young woman who was helpless, defenceless, vulnerable and an easy prey".
According to the prosecution, in October 2012 the woman was on her way home after filling water from a common tap in her locality in west Delhi when Tomar followed her and raped her inside her house. Due to threats received, the woman did not disclose about the incident to anyone but three months later it was found that the victim was pregnant.
Following this, a complaint was lodged against the accused. On June 15, 2013 she gave birth to a baby girl, who died after two weeks, it said.
