'Alcohol is a mitigating factor' says Delhi court in gangrape case

New Delhi: A youth, convicted for gangraping his friend’s wife along with four others including her husband, has been sentenced to ten years in jail by a Delhi court which awarded him the minimum jail term prescribed for the offence, saying the crime was committed in a state of drunkenness. [caption id=“attachment_1150429” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image of rape protests. PTI image[/caption] Out of the five arrested accused, three turned out to be juvenile, including the victim’s husband, so the enquiry against them is being conducted before Juvenile Justice Board. The two adult accused Sanjay and Suresh Kumar were tried before the Sessions court. Suresh was held guilty of gangrape, whereas Sanjay was acquitted as there was no incriminating evidence against him and the victim in her testimony has also totally “exculpated” him. Additional Sessions Judge Virender Bhat said that there is every possibility for Suresh’s reformation as there is nothing on record to show that the accused reached there with an intention to rape the victim, it was only they got “drunk” their “sexual desire” aroused and they committed the crime. “No doubt that the offence committed by convict (Suresh) is intensely grave, barbaric and brutal in nature, still I find that his being drunk at that time is a mitigating factor in his favour which persuades me not to inflict any sentence of imprisonment upon him which is greater than the minimum prescribed for the offence of gangrape. “He is 26 years of age and has clean past antecedents. No case of his involvement in any criminal activity in past has been brought to my notice by the prosecution. I feel that the offence was committed by the convict in a state of drunkenness and there is every possibility for his reformation,” the judge said. According to the prosecution on July 9, 2012 her husband, and four others were consuming liquor at the farm house, where he used to stay with his wife and two children. “Her husband came to her and told her that he has taken money from these persons and she has to sleep with them. She became angry and told her husband that she would not spend night with any stranger. On this, her husband beat her and left the room,” the prosecution said. PTI