M A I N   N E W S

Rape victim punished
From Chander Parkash
Tribune News Service

FARIDKOT, Feb 17 — In a significant case a rape victim was punished for abandoning her baby conceived in the act (of rape) as the perpetrator of the crime was being convicted. The rape victim and her mother were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, while the rapist was awarded a seven-year jail term and fined Rs 2000.

The judgement, perhaps the first of its kind in Punjab, was delivered on February 7.

The parentage of the new-born baby was established by a DNA test at the GGS Medical College, Faridkot. The DNA test proved a boon for two other accused, Jaswinder Singh and Jagroop Singh, who were also on trial in the case along with Tasveer Singh.

According to the copy of judgement, two persons of Jaitu town of this district found a new born baby lying abandoned in a vacant plot while they were on their morning walk on November 1, 1997.

The matter was reported to the police and it was found that the abandoned baby belonged to an unmarried girl. The police registered a case under Sections 376, 317 and 34 of the IPC at police station, Jaitu.

Police investigations revealed that the abandoned child’s mother, an unmarried minor, had illicit relations with several men, including Tasvir Singh, a Home Guard jawan. During the course of her relations, she conceived and delivered a baby girl. To avoid complications and social stigma, the girl and her mother threw the newly born into a vacant plot near their residence.

In their defence the accused pleaded that the girl was married to one Jeet Singh a few months ago. Fearing that news of the child born some six-seven months after the marriage could spoil her married life, they gave the child away for adoption.

But the judge held that the accused could not established their defence and their version was rejected as untrustworthy.

He held that from the facts of the case there was absolutely no evidence against accused Jaswinder Singh and Jagroop Singh for an offence punishable under Section 376 of the IPC and they were acquitted.