Bombay HC acquits rape accused in POCSO case, says girl would be ‘terrified’, not ‘act normal’
Mumbai: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has sparked controversy with its recent verdict, acquitting a 64-year-old man accused of raping an eight-year-old girl. The court cited that the victim's behavior was not consistent with that of a rape survivor, stating that a minor girl subjected to sexual assault would normally be "terrified" and not "act normal and play."
The case dates back to March 2019, when the accused, Vijay Javanjal, allegedly lured the victim with sweets and touched her inappropriately. The victim's mother complained to the police after her daughter reported the incident, stating that Javanjal was sitting next to her daughter while she was playing.
However, the court questioned the authenticity of the victim's testimony, noting that she continued to play after the alleged assault and only reported it to her mother after returning from school. Justice Govinda Sanap stated that if the accused had committed the act, it would have caused fear, pain, and shock to the girl, prompting her to run away and claim shock to her mother.
The court's decision has raised concerns about its understanding of trauma and victim behavior. Critics argue that the verdict perpetuates harmful stereotypes about how victims should react to sexual assault, ignoring the complexities of trauma and individual responses.
Javanjal was initially sentenced to 20 years rigorous imprisonment under the POCSO Act and Section 376AB of the Indian Penal Code by the trial court. The High Court's acquittal has sparked outrage, with many calling for a review of the verdict.
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Jawan found dead in CRPF camp in J-K's Shopian
Srinagar (PTI): A CRPF jawan died inside a camp in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Wednesday.
Head constable Surinder Singh, who hails form Hyderabad, fell unconscious late Tuesday night at the Zainapora Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Shopian, the officials said.
Singh was shifted to Zainapora hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
Police has taken cognizance of the incident and started proceeding to ascertain cause of Singh's death.
