A Delhi court has sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping his teen stepdaughter, observing there was no straitjacket formula for sentencing.
The court said the "twin objectives" of deterrence of crimes and reformation of a convict needed to be balanced.
Additional sessions judge Ankit Mehta was hearing the arguments on the quantum of sentencing against the 32-year-old man, convicted for rape under IPC and Section 6 (aggravated penetrative assault) of the POCSO Act.
On August 2, the court said, "Accused inserted his finger in the private parts of the victim, amounting to rape or penetrative sexual assault. It was further proved that the convict had watched the victim while she was taking a bath and had also lain down upon her." The sentencing, the court said, had to be commensurate with the relevant factors, including nature and gravity of the offence, how the crime was committed, the condition of the victim, the convict's age and whether the convict was a habitual offender.
"There is no straitjacket formula for the same, and as such, both the aggravating and mitigating factors need to be considered. Further, sentencing needs to balance the twin objectives of deterrence and reform of the convict," the verdict said.
The court awarded Rs 10.5 lakh compensation to the minor survivor.
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