CR.A/918/2004 1/13 JUDGMENT IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD CRIMINAL APPEAL No. 918 of 2004 For Approval and Signature: HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE A.L.DAVE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE J.C.UPADHYAYA ========================================================= 1 Whether Reporters of Local Papers may be allowed to see the judgment ? 2 To be referred to the Reporter or not ? 3 Whether their Lordships wish to see the fair copy of the judgment ? 4 Whether this case involves a substantial question of law as to the interpretation of the constitution of India, 1950 or any order made thereunder ? 5 Whether it is to be circulated to the civil judge ? ========================================================= JETHABHAI RATNABHAI - Appellant Versus STATE OF GUJARAT -Respondent ========================================================= Appearance : MR RM PARMAR for Appellant. MR MUKESH PATEL, APP, for Respondent-State, ========================================================= CORAM : HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE A.L.DAVE and HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE J.C.UPADHYAYA Date : 24/09/2008 ORAL JUDGMENT (Per : HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE A.L.DAVE) CR.A/918/2004 2/13 JUDGMENT This appeal arises out of a judgment and order rendered by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Dhrangadhra, in Sessions Case No.27/2003, on 12th May, 2004, convicting the appellant-accused for an offence punishable under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code and sentencing him to undergo R.I. For a period of 8 years and to pay a fine of Rs.12,000/-, in default, to undergo R.I. for two years. 2. The brief facts of the case can be narrated thus: 2.1 About 4 – 5 months prior to 2nd June, 2003, it is alleged that the appellant committed rape on Nabuben, daughter of Revabhai Dahyabhai, at village Mera-Gamdi of Dasada Taluka, District : Surendranagar, as a result of which, the prosecutrix became pregnant. It is the further case of the prosecution that the prosecutrix was working in the brick-factory of the appellant, and while she was alone in the room allotted to her, the appellant committed rape on her. The prosecutrix was thereafter married to another person and her husband learnt about the pregnancy of the prosecutrix and sent her CR.A/918/2004 3/13 JUDGMENT back to her parental home. Thereupon she disclosed the fact to her mother and thereafter the F.I.R. was lodged. On the basis of the F.I.R., investigation was started and the investigating agency, having found sufficient material against the appellant, filed charge sheet against him in the Court of learned J.M.F.C., Patadi. The learned J.M.F.C., in turn, committed the case to the Court of Sessions, as the offence for which the charge sheet was filed, was triable exclusively by the Court of Sessions. 3. The charge against the appellant was framed at Exh.3, to which he pleaded not guilty and claimed to be tried. 4. The Sessions Court, after considering the evidence led by the prosecution, came to the conclusion that the prosecution was successful in establishing the charge against the appellant and recorded conviction of the appellant and sentenced him to imprisonment, as stated above in this judgment. Aggrieved by the said judgment and order of conviction, the present appeal is preferred. CR.A/918/2004 4/13 JUDGMENT 5. We have heard learned advocate Mr.Parmar for the appellant and learned A.P.P. Mr.Patel for the respondent-State. We have also examined the record and proceedings. 6. Learned advocate Mr.Parmar submitted that the F.I.R. is lodged late. The delay in action on the part of the prosecutrix or the complainant has not been explained. He submitted that the evidence indicates that it is a case of consent on the part of the prosecutrix. He also submitted that the prosecution has failed to prove the age of the prosecutrix by producing primary proof of her birth. He submitted that as per the evidence of the father of the prosecutrix, Amrutlal, brother of the prosecutrix, was born after the birth of the prosecutrix and if his date of birth is seen, it is 13.1.1987. The date of birth of the prosecutrix, therefore, cannot be subsequent to 13.1.1987, but, has to be before that. The certificate of birth issued by the school, therefore, becomes doubtful. All these aspects have been overlooked by the Sessions Court and, therefore, the appeal may be CR.A/918/2004 5/13 JUDGMENT allowed and the appellant be acquitted of the charge levelled against him. 7. On the other hand, learned A.P.P. has submitted that it has come in evidence that the prosecutrix is slightly mentally retarded. The F.I.R. is lodged only upon the parents coming to know about the incident, as till then, she did not realize the seriousness of the incident and, therefore, the delay cannot be considered as a factor going against the case of the prosecution. The learned A.P.P. submitted that the evidence of father of the prosecutrix has to be assessed in the light of the fact that he is an uneducated rustic villager and may have committed mistake in stating the sequence of birth of his children. The birth-certificate issued by the school (Exh.15) is issued on contemporaneous material. The defence has brought the birth-certificate of brother of the prosecutrix, but, has not brought the certificate of date of birth of the prosecutrix, nor has it brought on record the fact that the birth of the prosecutrix is not registered. The learned A.P.P., therefore, submitted that once the date of CR.A/918/2004 6/13 JUDGMENT birth of the prosecutrix is taken as 1st June, 1988, her age on the date of the incident, which is about 4 months prior to 2nd June, 2003, would be positively below 15 years. Under these circumstances, the prosecution has rightly been held to have proved the guilt of the accused-appellant. The appeal may, therefore, be dismissed. 8. We have considered the rival side submissions. On perusal of the case papers (Exh.10) relating to the accused, it contains the history recorded thus: “H/o rape on victim by himself on approximately 4-5 months back.” The medical evidence in the form of deposition of Dr.Chirag Dineshbhai Shah recorded at Exh.9 indicates that the appellant was capable to perform intercourse. He had also examined the prosecutrix on 2.6.2003 and found her to be pregnant by 4 to 6 months. The doctor, during his cross-examination has clarified that he has mentioned `accused and victim', as these were the words used by the police. The doctor has admitted that the prosecutrix was used to sexual intercourse. CR.A/918/2004 7/13 JUDGMENT 8.1 Dr.Minesh Harivadan Khatri, who is examined at Exh.12, says that he had examined the prosecutrix and found her to be pregnant with 30 weeks' foetus. He says that he had issued medical certificate (Exh.13). 8.2 Witness Aazamkhan Isabkhan Malek is the Principal of the Primary School and has produced birth-certificate of the prosecutrix at Exh.15, which states that the date of birth of the prosecutrix was registered in the school register as 1.6.1988. 8.3 The father of the prosecutrix is examined at Exh.16. He says that he was working in the brick- factory of the appellant and was staying in a room allotted to him in the factory, and he, his wife, prosecutrix and two sons, Mohan and Amrut, were all working as labourers there. He says that his daughter was married to Devabhai Jethabhai and she was sent back on the next day of her marriage by her in-laws and on being asked, his daughter i.e. the prosecutrix had disclosed that the appellant had CR.A/918/2004 8/13 JUDGMENT committed rape on her repetitively and has become pregnant therefrom. He is the first informant, who gave the FIR on 2nd June, 2003. 8.4 The prosecutrix is examined at Exh.18. She states that she has studied upto Std.1. She knows accused Jetha Ratna. She was married to Devabhai Jethabhai. After her marriage, she went to her husband's place and stayed there only for one night and thereafter her in-laws sent her back to her parental home, as she was pregnant by three months at that time. She says that she became pregnant through accused Jethabhai Ratnabhai. She was working with Jethabhai Ratnabhai in his brick-factory. He used to intimidate her and when her parents were away, he came to her house (room) and had intercourse with her 3 to 4 times on the same day. She is cross-examined and it has been admitted by her that she was earlier raped by one Dhudaji and she had to abort, money for which had been given by the village people. She denied the suggestion that she had never worked in the brick-factory of Jethabhai Ratnabhai. CR.A/918/2004 9/13 JUDGMENT 8.5 Witness Devabhai Jethabhai, husband of the prosecutrix, who is examined at Exh.19, says that after his marriage when the marriage-party came back to his home and he went to his wife, he realised that his wife was pregnant. He did not enter into any relationship with his wife and he sent back the prosecutrix on the next day. He says that, on the first night, when he realised that his wife was pregnant, he asked about that to his wife i.e. the prosecutrix, and she told him that she had become pregnant through the accused-appellant. 8.6 One Chaturbhai Nanjibhai Chavda is examined at Exh.20. He is uncle-in-law of the prosecutrix. He says that his nephew Devabhai was married to the prosecutrix and on the next day, his cousin Jethabhai (father of Devabhai) told him that the prosecutrix was pregnant and, therefore, they took back the prosecutrix to her parental home, and at that time, she had told that she was pregnant through the accused-appellant. During his cross-examination, he admits to have stated before the police that he was informed by Revabhai, father of the prosecutrix that CR.A/918/2004 10/13 JUDGMENT the prosecutrix was going to the brick-factory of accused Jethabhai Ratnabhai and she had informed him that he was raped by accused Jethabhai repetitively and had become pregnant therefrom. 9. In our opinion, the evidence as to the age of the prosecutrix is unshaken. It is coming from the school, which maintained its record in ordinary course of its business and when entries were made, nobody knew that such necessity would arise. That apart, the defence has led evidence as to the age of the brother of the prosecutrix viz. Amrutlal. The defence has not obtained any clarification about the registration of birth, or its non-registration with the same authority, who had registered the birth of Amrulal because it has come from the evidence of the prosecutrix that both were born at the same town. If an attempt was made to inquire into the factum of registration of birth of the prosecutrix, the truth would have come on record. Unfortunately, the prosecution has also not taken any steps to bring that on record. But, there is no reason to doubt the version of the father of the prosecutrix, supported CR.A/918/2004 11/13 JUDGMENT by the evidence in the form of birth-certificate issued by the school-authority, where the prosecutrix took her education. We find force in the argument of learned A.P.P. that there may be mistake on the part of the complainant in giving the details of sequence of birth of his children. Once we accept that the prosecutrix was born on 1.6.1988 and the incident occurred about 4 months prior to 2.6.2003, it is clear that the prosecutrix was below the age of 15 years at the time of the occurrence. Therefore, her consent or otherwise, would not be a relevant question. 10. An attempt is made to show that the prosecutrix was raped earlier and that she had become pregnant therefrom and had to abort. Of course, the father denied this suggestion, but, the prosecutrix has accepted this. This situation can be viewed from two angles; the first is that the case of the prosecution is that the prosecutrix is of retarded mind, which gets support from this and she admits the situation. Differently put, she tells truth before the Court. In such eventuality, what she says against the accused, CR.A/918/2004 12/13 JUDGMENT can also be accepted as truth. Secondly, even if we accept that the prosecutrix is not of retarded mind and had been earlier raped and had become pregnant therefrom, that cannot be a factor in favour of defence or the accused. We may refer to a decision of the Apex Court in this regard; State of Punjab v. Ramdev Singh, 2004(1) Crime 149 (S.C.), where the Supreme Court has taken a view that the presence of signs of previous intercourse on the victim cannot, by any stretch of imagination, be a ground to acquit an alleged rapist. The Supreme Court has further observed that assuming that the victim was previously accustomed to sexual intercourse, that is not a determinative question. What is relevant is to decide the question, whether the accused committed rape on the victim or prosecutrix on the occasion complained of. The Apex Court has also observed that the prosecutrix, complaining of a rape, cannot be considered as an accomplice; she stands on a higher pedestal than an injured witness. 11. With the above principle, if we appreciate the evidence, we find that the prosecutrix is a simpleton CR.A/918/2004 13/13 JUDGMENT lady, who has regards for truth, and we have no hesitation in holding that the trial Court was justified in accepting her version and recording conviction of the accused. As discussed earlier, the age of the prosecutrix is such that her consent becomes irrelevant in light of the provisions contained in Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code. 11.1 Late action on the part of the complainant is obviously explained. It is only upon his coming to know about the pregnancy of the prosecutrix that he immediately lodged the complaint. Had he been aware, ordinarily, he would not have ventured in getting his daughter married in a pregnant state of physic. Under the circumstances, delay in lodging the complaint cannot come in the way of the prosecution and to the rescue of the defence. 12. For the foregoing reasons, we find no merits in the appeal, which must fail and, therefore, it stands dismissed. Patel. [ A.L. Dave,J.] [ J.C.Upadhyaya,J.]