Supreme Court Restores Conviction of Two Men for Rape of 12-Year-Old, Overturning Patna High Court Acquittal
Bench Condemns Systemic Failures and Urges Sensitivity in Handling Sexual Offence Trials
The Supreme Court has restored the conviction of two men for the rape of a 12-year-old girl, overturning a Patna High Court judgment that had acquitted them on grounds of minor procedural defects. A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Satish Chandra Sharma declared that minor errors in prosecution and trial procedures should not be allowed to overshadow consistent victim testimony and medical evidence.
The case originated in Bihar’s Bhojpur district in 2016, when the young victim was found three months pregnant. She revealed she had been repeatedly assaulted by the accused, who threatened her against disclosure. The trial court convicted both men and imposed life sentences. On appeal, the Patna High Court identified procedural lapses such as discrepancies in victim’s age documents and charge framing, and acquitted the accused.
The Supreme Court rejected this approach, emphasizing that minor variations are to be expected in documents and testimony, especially in cases involving rural and marginalized victims. The Bench noted the importance of assessing such inconsistencies with contextual sensitivity to social realities. The Court further observed that consistent victim statements, unchallenged age evidence, and corroborating medical reports reinforced the prosecution’s case.
Highlighting the shortcomings of seeking “perfect evidence,” the Court remarked that expecting flawless documentation or testimony is unrealistic and can inadvertently protect offenders. The judgment stressed that women and child victims of sexual crimes are often victimized again through overly rigid procedural application, and called on judiciary stakeholders to strike a balance between procedural fairness and substantive justice.
The Bench concluded that not every mistake in prosecution or documentation should be considered fatal and warned against letting such errors enable the guilty to escape punishment. The ruling serves as a strong reminder of the judiciary’s responsibility to deliver sensitive, context-aware justice in sexual offence cases involving vulnerable populations.