British rape victim petition rejected
The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the petition of a British scribe for transfer of her rape case from the Rajasthan high court to Delhi, but directed the state government to give her police protection when she visits the state for court hearing.
A bench of Justices Markandey Katju and T.S. Thakur declined her transfer plea mainly because normally shifting of a case to another high court at appeal state is not done.
The British journalist is fighting to ensure that her tormentor Prabhat Singh Rana, the owner of a tourist lodge in Udaipur, does not get any relief from the high court after he has been awarded life sentence by a fast-track court.
Since the apex court had disapproved an order of the HC granting bail to Rana while admitting his appeal against the conviction, the bench asked the Rajasthan high court chief justice not to place her case before the same bench, which had granted bail to the accused.
The top court asked the chief justice of the state high court to ensure that her case is placed before another bench.
The apex court in an earlier hearing on January 16, 2009 had taken serious view of the high court enlarging Rana on bail and had consequently cancelled it. He has since been lodged in Udaipur jail.
A fast-track court in Udaipur had convicted him with life sentence for the rape of a British journalist on the night of December 23, 2007, while she was staying in her guest house.
Post new comment