The High Court concluded that the victim’s statement reveals story “misadventure stemming from a promiscuous attitude and a voyeuristic mind”.The Punjab and Haryana High Court suspended the sentence of three former law students who were convicted of gangrape and blackmail. The High Court concluded that the victim’s statement reveals story “misadventure stemming from a promiscuous attitude and a voyeuristic mind”. It was also ordered a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the victim and said that the amount has to be equally borne by the convicts. Indian Express qoted the bench saying, ” It would be a travesty if these young minds are confined to jail for an inordinate long period which would deprive them of their education, opportunity to redeem themselves and be a part of the society as normal beings. Long incarceration at this stage when the appeal is not likely to mature for some time is likely to result in an irreparable damage.”
The three men who approached the HC for bail, were placed with conditions on them during the pendency of their appeal in a lower court against the conviction. the High Court division bench of Justice Mahesh Grover and Justice Raj Shekhar Attri further added, ”Nothing said above should be construed to be an expression on the merits of the case.”The court also ordered for counselling to be provided to the three men by a psychiatrist of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi and said that it was necessary “to balance the concerns of the victim, demands of the society and law and the element of reformatory and rehabilitative justice” while deciding the matter.
