The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has upheld a man’s conviction for raping his 55-year-old mother-in-law, calling the act “shameful” and underscoring the deep violation of trust.
Justice G.A. Sanap, presiding over the case, noted that the victim, who was of the same age as the convict’s mother, would never have imagined that her son-in-law would commit such a deplorable act, now leaving her with a lifelong stigma.
“The appellant defiled the womanhood of the prosecutrix, who, in her wildest dreams, could not have anticipated such a deplorable act,” observed the court. Justice Sanap further emphasized the trust breach, highlighting how the accused had exploited his familial relationship with the victim.
The accused challenged his 14-year sentence, issued by a sessions court in March 2022, arguing that the incident was consensual. The High Court dismissed this defense, emphasizing that the woman would not subject herself to the stigma and distress of a police report if the act had been consensual.
The incident reportedly occurred in December 2018. According to the prosecution, the convict, who was separated from the victim’s daughter, had quarreled with the victim, demanding that she intervene to reconcile his marriage. On the pretext of discussing matters further, he allegedly lured her to his residence, consumed alcohol, and committed the assault.
The High Court found the evidence submitted by the prosecution sufficient to uphold the sentence, deeming the punishment proportionate to the severity of the crime.
