Leniency, mercy not accepted in acid attack cases: HC

Upholds life sentence for acid attacker; victim to be given ₹9.75 lakh from fine of ₹10 lakh imposed on convict in addition to ex gratia

July 27, 2021 02:04 am | Updated 02:04 am IST - Bengaluru

Bengaluru / Karnataka : 19/08/2020 :  A view of High Court of Karnataka  on 19 August 2020.  Photo : V Sreenivasa  Murthy/The Hindu.

Bengaluru / Karnataka : 19/08/2020 : A view of High Court of Karnataka on 19 August 2020. Photo : V Sreenivasa  Murthy/The Hindu.

Observing that imposition of appropriate punishment is the manner in which the court responds to society’s cry for justice in acid attack cases, the High Court of Karnataka declined to reduce the sentence of life imprisonment imposed on a man convicted for throwing acid on a girl for refusing to marry him against wishes of her family members.

While upholding the life sentence imposed by a sessions court in Davangere in 2016 on Mahesha of Honnali taluk in Davangere district, the High Court directed payment of ₹9.75 lakh to the victim girl out of the 10 lakh fine imposed on the convict.

“Justice demands that the courts should impose punishment befitting the crime so that the courts reflect public abhorrence of the crime,” observed a Division Bench comprising Justice B. Veerappa and Justice V. Srishananda while declining to reduce the sentence imposed by the trial court.

Also, the High Court directed the Davangere District Legal Services Authority to consider the young age of the victim, who was a teacher, corrosive injuries suffered by her and the huge amount spent for plastic surgery, while deciding the quantum of compensation for her under the victims’ compensation scheme.

“The accused might have felt that his ego had been hurt by such a denial to the proposal marriage or he might have suffered a sense of exaggeration... or might have been guided by the idea that revenge is the sweetest thing that one can be wedded to when there is no response to the unrequited love; but, whatever may be the situation, the criminal act, by no stretch of imagination, deserves any leniency or mercy,” the Bench observed.

“The case in hand is an example of an uncivilized and heartless crime committed by the accused. It is completely unacceptable that concept of leniency or mercy can be conceived of in such a crime...,” the Bench said while pointing out that trial court was right in imposing life imprisonment based on evidence and damage caused to the victim girl and a minor boy, who was accompanying her when acid attack took place in January 2014.

Noticing an increase of instances of accident attacks on women in India over the last decade, the Bench observed that “a crime of this nature does not deserve any kind of clemency. Emphatically one has to say that it is individually as well as collectively intolerable.”

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.