Dhaula Kuan gangrape convict gets 14 years in jail

A Delhi court awarded rigorous imprisonment of 14 years to the lone arrested convict in the sensational Dhaula Kuan gangrape case on Thursday in which a Delhi University student was ravished in a moving car in 2005.

"The scar of rape always remains in the mind of the victim and cannot be overcome throughout her life," Additional Sessions Judge Neeraj Kumar Gupta said.

Terming the act of convict Ajit Singh Katiyar as "beastly", the court also slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on him after finding him guilty of gangrape, abduction, criminal intimidation, administering intoxicant and group liability.

Earlier, the public prosecutor, arguing on quantum of sentence, sought maximum punishment for the convict, saying "the victim was raped six times in a moving car in her over two-hour-long illegal detention".

Citing various apex court judgements, he said no leniency should be granted to such sexual offender.

Defence counsel Manoj Sharma, however, sought lenient sentence for his client on the ground that he belongs to a poor family background and had to look after his old and ailing parents.

Defence counsel Sharma said Katiyar, 30, belonged to a poor family and had to look after his old and ailing parents.

"Though he has been convicted, I still feel that he (Katiyar) was innocent," Sharma said while seeking lighter punishment for his client.

"The punishment was harsh. We have got a good case on merits and an appeal will be filed in the Delhi high court," Sharma told media persons outside the courtroom.

The prosecutor, however, hailed the outcome of the four-year trial saying a right message has been sent to the society at large.

Earlier, the court, in its 71-page judgement, had on December 8 held Katiyar guilty while relying on the unequivocal and consistent testimony of the 20-year-old victim.

The girl, who stood by her statement, identified Katiyar first in the test identification parade, held in the Tihar jail and then in the court.

The victim was abducted on May 8, 2005, when she was walking back home after buying food from a roadside eatery along with a friend and was raped by four accused in a car near Dhaula Kuan in South Delhi.