National
12-year RI for constable in Marine Drive rape case
Staff Reporter
| Government may move High Court for awarding life sentence |
Sunil More being taken to prison in Mumbai after he was sentenced on a charge of raping a minor.
MUMBAI: A sessions court here convicted and sentenced constable Sunil More to 12-year rigorous imprisonment for raping a teenager inside a police post on the Marine Drive while on duty almost a year ago.
He was sentenced to three-month RI and a fine of Rs. 500 under Sec. 342 (wrongful confinement), six-month RI and Rs. 1,000-fine under Sec. 506 (criminal intimidation) and 12-year RI and a fine of Rs. 25,000 under Sec. 376 (2) (a) (b) (when a police officer commits rape on a woman in his custody) of the Indian Penal Code.
All the sentences will run concurrently and the period he has spent in custody will be set off against the total sentence.
(According to PTI, the Maharashtra Government is likely to appeal in the Bombay High Court seeking life imprisonment for More.)
The prosecution case is that on April 21, 2005, a private security guard informed More that a girl was with her friend on the Marine Drive. After asking her friend to leave the place and bring money, More raped the girl and also threatened her. Passers-by, who heard her screams, barged into the police post and rescued her.
Following the incident, women's rights groups and civil rights associations in the city staged protests. More was dismissed immediately.
On July 12, 2005, the police filed a 200-page charge sheet and during the trial, held in-camera, 27 witnesses were examined.
"No remorse"
Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam urged the court to award a deterrent life imprisonment as More showed no remorse. He consumed alcohol after the crime "as if he was celebrating," Mr. Nikam said. He committed the crime intentionally, which was clear from his sending the girl's friend away and locking the door of the police post.
"Not a habitual offender"
Defence lawyer Milan Desai, who argued that More was not a habitual offender, later told mediapersons that he would appeal against the verdict in the High Court. The DNA matching and other reports were in favour of the accused, he said.
Additional Sessions Judge K. U. Chandiwal found More guilty of threatening and raping the girl.
However, the charge of alcohol consumption could not be proved for lack of evidence.
The judge noted that everyone knew about the public outrage. At the same time, the age of the accused and the fact that his family was dependent on him had to be considered.
More blames media
More pleaded he was not guilty. Tense and disturbed, he blamed the media and politics for what had happened.
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"Ours is a battle not for wealth or for power.
It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality."
- Dr BR Ambedkar
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