Rape victim turns saviour for her tormentor who walks free

New Delhi, Feb 18 (PTI) A man convicted for rape andabduction and faced life term as maximum punishment wassenetnced to six months imprisonment by a Delhi court whichalso freed him setting off his punishment against earlierdetention with the victim turning his saviour and pleading tothe court to take a lenient view against him.

"The period of detention already undergone by himearlier during investigation, inquiry or trial may be set offagainst the sentence awarded in this case," ruled AdditionalSessions Judge Nisha Saxena while imposing a six-month jailterm on convict Vishnu, a native of Rajasthan, on each of thecharges of rape, kidnapping and drugging the woman in Delhi.

The judge had mercy on convict, taking into accountthe victim''s pleadings that he (convict) realised the enormityof his crime as she began weeping after her rape. He latermarried her.

The judge also took into account her pleas that she wasnot only married to him now but also has a son out of thewedlock while her in-laws love her and she does not wantanother trauma in her life.

The court also noted that the accused had pleaded guiltyduring the trial and decided not to contest it further.

"Keeping in view the aforesaid facts and circumstancesof the case, taking a lenient view as the convict has marriedthe prosecutrix and is having a small child, I sentence theconvict with simple imprisonment for six months," the judgesaid.

She sentenced Vishnu to 6 months simple imprisonment foreach of the charges of rape, kidnapping and drugging her andruled that all the jail terms would run concurrently.

The case dates back to 2005 when Vishnu, living in Delhi,along with co-accused Rajesh, had kidnapped the victim whileshe was on her way to see her sister.

He forcibly administered an intoxicant to her, confinedher in a room where she raped her and kept her in his custodyfrom December 27, 2005 to February 3, 2006.