Bhopal: In a curious ruling, the Madhya Pradesh High Court reduced the life sentence of a convict, who raped a four-year-old girl to 20 years, observing that the convict was kind enough to leave [the girl] alive, NDTV reported.
But the court also observed that the convict committed a "demonic act", NDTV quoted.
The convict had served a jail term of 15 years and had requested relief. Hearing his plea, the High Court's Indore bench ruled that he had committed a demonic act and had non-respect for the dignity of a woman. Nothing hampered him in committing the grievous act, but the court will reduce his sentence.
It ruled, "Considering the demonic act of the [convict] who appears to have no respect for the dignity of a woman and has the propensity to commit sexual offence even with a girl child aged four years, this court does not find it to be a fit case where the sentence can be reduced to the sentence already undergone by him," NDTV quoted.
"However, considering the fact that he was kind enough to leave the [girl] alive, this court is of the opinion that the life imprisonment can be reduced to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment," the court of Justices Subodh Abhyankar and Satyendra Kumar Singh also said in the order dated October 18.
The High Court, however, did not find any reason to quash the conviction order passed by the Indore Additional Sessions Judge.
The convict used to live in a tent near the hut of the girl's family. He and the girl's parents were labourers. He persuaded the girl into his hut, convincing her of giving a rupee.
The girl's grandmother found the man assaulting her. The woman testified against the man, and medical evidence of the girl led to the man's conviction.