The court deemed the act ‘shameful’, emphasizing the victim’s vulnerability and trust in her son-in-law.
MUMBAI:
Nagpur bench
of
Bombay high court
has upheld the conviction of a man for raping his mother-in-law in Dec 2018, noting that it was a shameful act, and the survivor, then aged 55, was like a mother to him.
A bench of Justice G A Sanap said on Tuesday, ” The appellant (convict), who is the son-in-law of the prosecutrix (victim), has committed this shameful act with his mother-in-law, who is the age as his mother. He took advantage of his relations with her. The (woman) would not have imagined in the wildest of dreams that her son-in-law would commit such a deplorable act with her.”
The HC said the evidence submitted was sufficient to prove the rape case. The man had challenged March 2022 judgment of a sessions court convicting and sentencing him to 14 years in jail.
The woman had alleged that her son-in-law and daughter were separated. Her two grandchildren lived with the father. On the day of the assault, he visited her, picked a fight and demanded she take steps to reunite the couple. Under pressure, she went with him to his house. On the way, he consumed liquor and allegedly raped her three times.
The man had claimed it was a consensual sexual relationship, but the HC refused to accept his argument. “Reporting such a matter to police invites stigmatic consequences. If it was a consensual act, she would not have reported it at all,” HC said.
