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Supreme Court of India 2020-12-03 dismissed

Chaman Lal vs The State of Himachal Pradesh

Bench: 3 — Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy, M.R. Shah

In Brief

A man was acquitted by the trial court of rape and criminal intimidation charges. The High Court reversed the acquittal and convicted him, finding that the victim, who was mentally retarded with an IQ of 62, was incapable of understanding the nature of sexual assault. On appeal to the Supreme Court, the accused challenged the High Court's reversal, arguing the trial court's acquittal was sound and should not be disturbed. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction, holding that the High Court was justified in re-appreciating the medical evidence and finding the trial court had overlooked crucial evidence of the victim's mental condition. The Court emphasized special protection for mentally disabled sexual assault victims and dismissed the appeal.

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Criminal Law Sexual Assault Rape Mental Health and Capacity Evidence - Medical Appellate Jurisdiction Appeal against Acquittal Victim Protection

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