The Karnataka High Court on Sunday, May 31, refused bail to a 23-year-old engineering student accused of rape, while observing that crimes were being committed “casually and in a routine manner” because the law had “lost its teeth”.
Hearing the bail plea filed by the student, Justice R Nataraj remarked that offenders were not being dealt with firmly enough under the democratic law, which, according to him, had made committing crimes easier.
“Law has lost its teeth because we don’t deal with offenders firmly. That is why committing an offence has become so easy,” the judge orally observed during the hearing. He said that stricter punishments could act as a deterrent.
Referring to punishments in some West Asian countries, the judge said, “If you chop off a leg or a hand, perhaps only then people will realise to comply with law. Because we have a democracy, everybody takes it for granted.”
The accused, identified as Gopi Reddy Karthik Reddy, is a student of Manipal Institute of Technology and has been in judicial custody since April 5.
His counsel argued before the court that he had spent nearly two months in prison despite not having committed any offence. The defence submitted that the allegations relate to an incident alleged to have taken place in September 2023 and contended that continued incarceration would adversely affect the petitioner’s academic and professional future.
During the hearing, the judge also remarked, “If you eat salt, you have to drink water. Let him stay another four-five days. Let him get used to prison. Who knows, if you are punished, you may have to go back.”
The court issued notice to the state government and posted the matter for further hearing on June 8.
According to the prosecution, the complainant and the accused were classmates at Manipal Institute of Technology. Police said the woman alleged that the accused had asked her to accompany him to an apartment on September 12, 2023, on the pretext of discussing their relationship, and sexually assaulted her.
The complainant stated that the incident caused severe trauma and depression, for which she underwent treatment at KMC Manipal. She later approached the National Commission for Women before filing a complaint with the police.
The case was registered at the Udupi Women Police Station under Sections 375(a) and 376 of the Indian Penal Code.
The matter will be heard next on June 8.