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“No merits in father’s appeal in rape case”

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday declined to interfere with a Rajasthan High Court judgment affirming life imprisonment awarded by the trial court to a middle-aged man for raping his 16-year-old daughter.

A Bench consisting of Justices Arijit Pasayat and P. Sathasivam dismissed, at the admission stage itself, the appeal by Hanuman Singh holding that it had no merits.

Victim threatened

The prosecution case was that Hanuman Singh, resident of a village near Alwar in Rajasthan, raped his daughter in August 2000. But she did not reveal the incident to any one as he threatened her with dire consequences. However, on October 1, 2000, her mother filed a complaint of rape against Hanuman Singh. The trial court awarded him life imprisonment.

On appeal, the Jaipur Bench of the High Court held that the appellant had broken the sacred bond between the father and the child. Considering that in order to satisfy his lust, he preyed on his own daughter and considering the agony of the victim and the consequence of such an act for society, the High Court upheld the sentence.

“Sole testimony”

In his appeal to the Supreme Court, filed from prison, Hanuman Singh said the entire evidence was based on the sole testimony of his daughter and was not corroborated by any other source. Pleading that he was innocent, he said the accusations were based on forged facts. Contending that life imprisonment was excessive, he sought quashing of the impugned judgment.

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