Rapists should be dealt with heavy hand: HC

The Delhi High Court today rejected the appeal of a 35-year-old man against the life sentence awarded to him by the trial court for raping a two- year-old girl, saying rapists are "worse than beasts" and should be dealt with a "heavy hand".
A high court bench said the state government should make efforts to sensitise the people about the consequence of such heinous offences.
"Each time we hear of a rape case, or any sort of assault against women, it gives a chill in the spine, daunts the faith overshadowing the entire system and shuns away the faith of the society at large. It is one of such crimes that do not deserve to be assuaged..... The cases of rape, gang rape and digital rape are on the increase and perpetrators of this inhuman and brutal crime are worse than even the beasts and deserve to be dealt with a heavy hand," a bench of Justices Kailash Gambhir and Indermeet Kaur said.

"We may point out that leniency in such like cases would send a wrong message to the society. Rather, by deft modulation, the sentencing process should be stern where it is called for, especially in cases where one tends to lark with human body and soul.