Bench Terms Act ‘Perverse’; Says Offence Too Serious for Sentence Suspension
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a plea seeking suspension of sentence filed by a cardiologist convicted of sexually assaulting his seven-year-old daughter, terming the crime “perverse” and too serious for any relief. A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma heard the matter and refused to entertain the request, according to a PTI report.
Court: ‘Man Becomes a Beast After Drinking’
The bench noted that the incident took place while the father was under the influence of alcohol. “Man becomes a beast after having a drink,” the court remarked, adding, “We are the most liberal bench. If we are not giving bail, there are reasons.” The judges further stated, “See the kind of things he has done to the child. He is a perverse guy, not entitled to any suspension. They were drunk.”
Minor’s Testimony Deemed Credible
The court gave weight to the child’s testimony, observing that she had testified against her father and withstood cross-examination. “You can’t do this to your own daughter. Why would she testify against her father unless it were true? She is a small girl who has withstood cross-examination,” the bench remarked.
Appeal Delay No Ground for Bail, Says Court
The convict’s lawyer argued that the child’s testimony was allegedly tutored and highlighted the delay in hearing appeals due to over 12 lakh pending cases in the Allahabad High Court. However, the Supreme Court maintained that judicial backlog could not justify suspending a sentence in a case of this gravity.
Following the court’s firm stance, the counsel withdrew the petition, and the plea was dismissed as withdrawn.
Case Background
According to the FIR, the child’s mother, a resident of Varanasi, had sent her daughter to visit her estranged husband in Haldwani in March 2018. The father, a practicing cardiologist running a nursing home in Haldwani, took custody of the child on March 23. A week later, on March 30, he called the mother to take the child back. Upon returning home, the girl confided in her mother, alleging that her father had touched her inappropriately.
The case had since moved through the judicial system, culminating in Thursday’s Supreme Court decision to uphold the sentence and deny any interim relief to the convicted doctor.
