Rape accused not minors; SC slams low conviction rate

All the five men accused of raping a young Mumbai photojournalist are adults, the Mumbai police said on Monday even as the Supreme Court expressed anguish over abysmal conviction rate in such cases across the country.

All the five men accused of raping a young Mumbai photojournalist are adults, the Mumbai police said on Monday even as the Supreme Court expressed anguish over abysmal conviction rate in such cases across the country.

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A bench headed by Justice PM Lodha said, “What is wrong with the system? Over 90% cases end in acquittal. What is the reason behind the spurt in such cases? Have our social values changed or is the police investigation flawed?”

Saying the situation was going “from bad to worse”, the bench said, “Have the police adopted wrong standards for appreciating the evidence or do the victims turn hostile?” The court has also ordered states to frame a rehabilitation policy for rape victims, if there isn’t one already.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by a gang rape victim’s father seeking protection for his daughter. According to the Haryana resident, the alleged rapists had also murdered his wife a month after raping his daughter.

In Mumbai, the commissioner said all evidence in the case has been collected. He also assured early justice to the 22-year-old rape victim.

“The mobile phone on which the crime was recorded has been recovered,” the commissioner added.

With agency inputs