Uber driver gets life in jail till death for rape

Uber cab driver Shiv Kumar Yadav who raped a woman executive on December 5 last year was on Tuesday sentenced by a court here to life in prison till death. The court said the judiciary must deal with such offenders with an "iron hand" so that every woman in the country feels secure.

"Every woman needs to feel secure in her motherland which necessarily demands dealing with such offenders with an iron hand," Additional Sessions Judge Kaveri Baweja said.

The court also directed the 33-year-old Yadav to pay a fine of Rs.21,000.

"The rape committed by the convict was not only against the rape survivor in the case, but also against the society at large," the court said.

"He (Yadav) endangered the life of the victim while committing rape upon her and his act demands imposition of the most severe punishment so that it acts as a deterrent and rebuilds the public confidence in the efficacy of law."

The court opined that the sentence in this case must therefore serve as a step towards the effort to put an end to such crimes against women in the country.

"For offence punishable under section 376 (2) (m) IPC (committing rape causing grievous bodily harm), the convict (Yadav) is sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of the convict's natural life," the court said.

Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava sought maximum punishment for the convict so that a strong message is sent to the society.

The prosecution added that the convict was involved in various other offences including molestation and rape and there is no room of his reformation.

However, Yadav's defence counsel Dharmender Kumar Mishra sought leniency citing his family background.

He told the court that Yadav has old and ailing parents, a wife and three minor children who were dependent on him.

The convict's father is a retired teacher who has to take care of his family, including Yadav's brother who is mentally challenged, through his pension, the defence counsel apprised the court.

The court directed the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to make necessary provisions for care and maintenance of his family.

The court, however, observed that the convict did not think about his family while committing the rape and they suffered due to his act.

Yadav's wife, his two daughters and father, who were present in the court room, broke down after hearing the sentence.

The victim's parents, who were also present in court, expressed satisfaction.

The court also recommended to the DLSA to pay adequate compensation to the victim.

Yadav was convicted last month on charges of rape, causing grievous bodily harm and endangering the life of the woman, and other charges dealing with kidnapping, criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt.

Police said the woman executive was raped by Yadav on the night of December 5, 2014, in the cab she hired to head back home in north Delhi's Inderlok area. Yadav drove the woman to an isolated place and raped her.