High Court's Strong Words on Leniency Towards Juveniles Post-Nirbhaya

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has criticized the continued lenient treatment of juveniles in serious crimes, citing the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case as an example of the legislature's failure to act. The court upheld a lower court's sentence against a 17-year-old convicted of raping a four-year-old girl in 2017.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has criticized the lenient treatment of juveniles in India, referencing the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case. Justice Subodh Abhyankar made these observations while dismissing an appeal by a man convicted of raping a four-year-old girl in 2017.

The convict, 17 at the time, escaped from a juvenile home in 2019. The High Court expressed its displeasure over the failure of laws to prevent such incidents, emphasizing the need for stricter legislative measures post-Nirbhaya.

The court upheld the initial sentence of 10 years' imprisonment, ordered a warrant for the absconding convict, and directed that the order be sent to the Law Secretary. The 2012 Nirbhaya case had sparked nationwide protests demanding tougher laws.

(With inputs from agencies.)