Judgment:
(Arising out of SLP(Crl.) No.6783 of 2008)
Markandey Katju, J.-
Leave granted
This Appeal has been filed against
the order dated 29.07.2008 passed by the Division Bench of the High
Court of Judicature for Rajasthan at Jodhpur in D.B. Criminal
Miscellaneous Bail Application/Suspension of Sentence Petition No. 712
of 2008 in D.B. Criminal Appeal No.344 of 2008 whereby the High Court
has suspended the sentence awarded to the accused-respondent No.2 under
Section 389, Cr.P.C. and granted him bail on certain conditions.
We have carefully perused the
record in this case, especially the first information report bearing
No.18 dated 9.1.2008 registered under Sections 376 & 450 of the Indian
Penal Code at Police Station Ambamata District, Udaipur in which serious
allegations have been made against the -2- respondent-accused. The
appellant is a British journalist and business woman. She had come to
India and was staying in Pardeshi Guest House, Udaipur. On
23/24.12.2007, the respondent No.2, who was running the guest house,
barged into the room where the appellant was staying and forcibly raped
her.
She has alleged that because of this
incident she was emotionally, mentally and physically wrecked and became
totally uncapicitated to even think and act like a normal human being.
We have also perused the judgment of the trial Court convicting the
accused on both counts and awarded life imprisonment under Section 376,
IPC. Under the circumstances, without expressing any opinion on the
merits of the dispute and culpability of the accused, we are certainly
of the opinion that this was not a fit case where the sentence awarded
should have been suspended and the accused released on bail.
The High Court was, thus, totally
unjustified in granting bail to the accused, or in suspending the
sentence. Accordingly, we accept this appeal, set aside the impugned
judgment of the High Court and cancel the bail granted to the
accused-respondent No.2. He shall be taken -3- into custody forthwith.
However, we would request the High Court to dispose of the appeal
expeditiously.
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