New Delhi: The latest observations from the apex court in the country touching on the character of the victim in the infamous Suryanelli gangrape case have come as a shocker to many.
While considering a bail plea by 27 accused persons, including main accused Dharmarajan, the Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that the victim had several opportunities to escape from the accused but she did not utilise them.
The SC bench comprising Justice Deepak Mishra asked why the girl did not make any attempt to escape from the accused persons’ custody. The bench also suspected that the girl was into the act by her own will.
The court, however, denied bail to the accused.
The case will be considered again in March 2016.
The case relates to a victim, who was a minor at the time and was taken to various places in Kerala and Tamil Nadu by the convicts, travelling about 3000 km during a 40-day ordeal when she was raped by over 40 persons, before being released on February 26, 1996.
Kerala High Court had earlier confirmed the life sentence of Dharmarajan and varying sentences awarded by the trial court at Kottayam, to other 23.