Retd Navy person jailed for 20 yrs in gangrape case

A 72-year-old retired Navy person was among two persons sent to 20 years in jail by a Delhi court for repeatedly gangraping a young woman and threatening her.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Virender Bhat convicted 45-year-old Rohtash Mann and Ishwar Singh, a senior citizen, and awarded 20 years rigorous imprisonment, the minimum jail term prescribed under the IPC for the offence of gangrape.
Singh was also held guilty for the offence of section 354A (I),(II) of the IPC dealing with physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures and a demand for sexual favours.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 each on Mann and his uncle Singh and said, if realised, the amount be given to the victim.

The court relied on the testimony of the woman, who was working and residing as a tenant in Mann's house, and said her statement was "credible and trustworthy".
"In my opinion, there is ample credible and trustworthy evidence on record to show that the prosecutrix was being continuously gangraped by the accused and it was done lastly on the night intervening between July 26 and 27, 2013.

"The deposition of the woman appears to be trustworthy and inspiring confidence of this court. Her testimony does not suffer from any material embellishments or prevarications," the court said.
According to the police, the woman came to Delhi in 2012 in search of job and she met Maan in his office and he took Rs 20,000 from her on the pretext of providing her a good job.

She started residing at his house on rent and also used to cook food for Mann's two children and look after his office work for which he was paying her some money, it said.
Thereafter, Mann's uncle Ishwar Singh starting residing with him.
It said Maan used to have forcible physical relations with the woman and threatened her not to disclose this to anyone otherwise she would be killed.
On July 26, 2013, Mann and Singh entered the woman's room in a drunk condition, abused and tore off her clothes.
Mann raped her on gun point and Singh molested her saying, "there is no age limit for enjoying sex", it said.

Singh, who was standing outside the room, told Maan to do whatever he wanted to do with her and threatened to kill her if she raised an alarm, she said.