Courts should act as Lord Krishna of Mahabharata to protect the safety of women: Karnataka High Court

Courts cannot act like a mute spectator to allow injustice being done to the women for generations to generations, a division bench of Justice B Veerappa and Justice E S Indiresh said while dismissing an appeal filed by a rape convict accused of raping a 69-year-old woman in 2013. "Now time warrants that the court should act as guardians and protect dharma in order to protect the safety of women, as contemplated under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and deal with the violators including rapists sternly and severely with iron hands.

The Karnataka High Court has observed that courts should act as Lord Krishna to protect Dharma in order to ensure safety of women. Courts cannot act like a mute spectator to allow injustice being done to the women for generations to generations, a division bench of Justice B Veerappa and Justice E S Indiresh said while dismissing an appeal filed by a rape convict accused of raping a 69-year-old woman in 2013.

"Now time warrants that the court should act as guardians and protect dharma in order to protect the safety of women, as contemplated under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and deal with the violators including rapists sternly and severely with iron hands.. Courts should act as Lord Sri Krishna of Mahabharata to protect dharma," the bench noted in its order on September 8, while referring to two verses in the Bhagavad Gita.

The bench was hearing an appeal by the convict challenging the order passed by a district court of Dakshina Kannada dated November 14, 2014. The petitioner, who was a 24-year-old labourer at the time of perpetrating the offence, was found guilty of raping a 69-year-old woman, whom he used to call 'grandmother', at knife-point and robbing cash and valuables over Rs 55,000.

Counsel for the convict had sought setting aside the district court order by contending that the evidence did not corroborate his involvement in the crime. However, the division bench upheld the lower court order sentencing him to seven years rigorous imprisonment and dismissed the appeal.

The bench noted that even after the lapse of 74 years of independence, women still are not safe in the hands of the violators of law.

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