A man who raped a mentally retarded girl in a north Delhi slum has offered to marry the victim prompting a city court to take a lenient view of his crime and sentenced him for the period he has already spent in jail.
"The convict's gesture shows that he (Karan Singh) is now repenting and wants to rectify the wrong done by him. The victim being mentally retarded and having the stigma of being raped might not be able to get a suitable match. Besides, the convict and the victim belong to the same community," Additional Sessions Judge Bimla Makin said.
"Though the offence committed by the convict cannot be pardoned, after remaining in custody for three-and-a-half years, he has developed a feeling of guilty," the court said.
Complainant Ramwati said while she, along with her husband and sons were sleeping on the roof of their residence in Shalimar Bagh on the intervening night of July 13/14, 2000 she heard her daughter's screams from inside the house.
Rushing down, Ramwati allegedly saw a man running away. Her daughter, sobbing uncontrollably, told her (Ramwati) that Singh had raped her and also threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident to anyone.
The court found the victim's statement to be reliable and trustworthy. It was supported by her mother's statement and the medical report. Makin, however, ordered Singh to pay a fine of Rs 5,000.
The victim's mother has agreed to Karan Singh's offer.
