Court lets off convict, says jail may spoil rehabilitation

Reduces sentence in stabbing case to period already served

Observing that sending him to jail might come in the way of his reformation, a Delhi court on Tuesday let off a convict by sentencing him to seven months’ imprisonment, which he has already served, in a case of stabbing two persons in 2015 in north-west Delhi

The court also took note of the merciful stand of the victims on the quantum of sentence to be awarded to the convict.

One of the victims submitted that because of the lack of financial support, the father of the convict had started begging. The convict also expressed his regret on the incident.

Clean antecedents

“Keeping in mind his young age and previous clean antecedents and the fact that he has been let off by the injured persons, I am of the view that it will not be in the fitness of things if he is sent to jail now where there is every chance of coming in contact with hardened criminals which may spoil the prospects of his proper rehabilitation. He is sentenced to the period already undergone by him,” Additional Sessions Judge Manoj Jain said.

Holding the accused guilty, the court said that the convict had clear intention and knowledge that the injuries could have proved fatal. The accused had contended that a quarrel had taken place on the spur of the moment and the action on his part was more or less in the nature of self-defence.