Man sent to seven years in jail for rape

A Delhi court has convicted a man of rape charges and sentenced him to seven years in jail.

While handing the jail term to Furkan Ahmad, a south Delhi resident, the court relied on the victim’s testimony and noted that a woman, who is subjected to sexual violence, would always be hesitant about disclosing her plight.

“We must realise that ordinarily a woman will not stake her reputation by levelling a false charge concerning her chastity. She suffers a tremendous sense of shame and fear of being shunned by the society and her near relatives,” the court said.

The court convicted Ahmad under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code. It also imposed a fine of ₹30,000 on the convict and directed Delhi Legal Service Authority (DLSA) of the south-east district to provide appropriate compensation to the victim.

While pronouncing the judgment, the court observed that an injured victim of a crime should be treated with compassion and understanding.

“It must therefore be realised that a woman who is subjected to sexual violence would always be slow and hesitant about disclosing her plight,” the court noted.

The prosecution said that the woman was on her way home on March 20, 2014, when the man suddenly pulled her into a room and sexually assaulted her.

When she resisted, a scuffle took place and she got injured but managed to escape. She immediately informed her husband, the prosecution said. The police was informed and the accused was arrested.

Ahmad had denied the allegations and claimed that he had been falsely implicated.