Kidnap case: court takes lenient view, sends man to TRC

A man has been sentenced to till the rising of the court for kidnapping a girl as the magistrate gave him a chance to reform, noting that he has married the victim.
"The object of criminal law is more to reform individual offender than to punish him," Metropolitan Magistrate Babita Puniya said while taking a lenient view on the convict.
Noting that the convict and the girl are now married and settled down in life, the magistrate said "the complainant has also quite large-heartedly forgiven his daughter (girl) and son-in-law (convict).
"Therefore, keeping in view overall conspectus of the case, I am of the considered view that the convict deserves leniency and ends of justice would be met if he is sentenced to till raising of court with a fine of Rs 1000."

The court had held the accused guilty of the offence of kidnapping under section 363 of IPC after he voluntarily pleaded guilty and admitted his offence.
"The accused has understood the nature of allegations levelled against him and that the plea of guilt is made voluntarily without any pressure or undue influence after understanding the allegations..." it said, while convicting him.

According to the prosecution, on January 16, 2012, the father of the teenaged girl had lodged a complaint that his daughter had gone missing since previous night.
10 days later, the girl, who was found along with the accused, told the police that she had voluntarily eloped with him and they got married, it said.

The accused had initially pleaded not guilty but at a later stage in the trial, he admitted his crime before the court.