In Brief
The appellant was convicted of rape and abduction of a 15-year-old girl under Sections 363, 366, and 376 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to seven years imprisonment. The appellant argued that the girl went with him voluntarily and that they are now both married to others with children. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction, rejecting the argument that a minor can give valid consent to sexual intercourse. However, the Court invoked the proviso to Section 376(1) to reduce the sentence to the period already undergone (approximately 1 year 7 months), citing adequate and special reasons: the incident occurred 30 years ago, both parties are now settled in life, the appellant has no criminal antecedents, and the victim did not appear to oppose the reduction.
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