24.08.2016, Madurai: The Madurai bench of the Madras high court on Tuesday refused to give bail to three convicts. They had sought bail till the appellate court decided their appeals filed against their conviction.
The additional sessions court in Tirunelveli on March 15, 2016 found Saravanamuthu, Selvam and Lakshmana Kumar guilty and sentenced them to eight years imprisonment and ordered each to pay 1.01 lakh fine for using criminal force on a deaf and dumb woman with intent to disrobe her and for wrongfully confining her. They were also accused of attempt to rape and charged under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Aggrieved over it, they preferred appeals against the convictions and filed bail petitions.
Justice P Devadass heard the petitions and dismissed them.
The judge said, "It is an offence committed against a woman who is the real victim. In such a case, the approach of the court should be different. The victim shall be treated as injured witness. Even without corroboration, her evidence can be acted upon."
The judge said, "The victim gave her evidence in sign language, which has been recorded with the assistance of a teacher of the Good Shepherd School for the Deaf, Tuticorin. In such circumstances, recording of her evidence cannot be faulted nor because of her physical disability her evidence could be eschewed." Thus it is not a fit case for grant of appeal bail, he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment