Last update:November 14, 2024, 2:41 PM IST

Judge GA Sanap, who handed down the decision, described the crime as “disgraceful” and a serious breach of trust.

The Bombay High Court upheld the original sentence of 14 years.

The Bombay High Court upheld the 14-year prison sentence of a man convicted of raping his 55-year-old mother-in-law in 2018. The accused appealed the conviction, claiming the acts were consensual, but the court rejected his arguments. and confirmed the sentence. Judge GA Sanap, who handed down the judgment, described the crime as a serious breach of trust. He noted that the victim, who was about the age of the accused’s mother, will bear the emotional and psychological trauma of the assault for the rest of her life.

The incident took place when the accused, who lived separately from his wife, visited his mother-in-law’s house in 2018. After an argument, he raped her three times while drunk. The victim reported his daughter’s assault, leading to his arrest.

In his defence, the accused claimed that the sexual encounters were consensual and that he was falsely accused. However, the court found the evidence against him compelling and rejected his appeal.

The Bombay High Court upheld the original 14-year sentence, pointing out that the evidence provided in the case was sufficient to prove the man’s guilt. Judge Sanap condemned the accused’s actions as a betrayal of the family’s trust and said such a crime, especially involving a close family member, was beyond justification.