SC Clarifies 40-Year-Old Ruling: Lack of Physical Injury Doesn’t Exclude Rape

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of India has clarified that the absence of physical injury marks on a victim's private parts does not preclude a rape conviction, emphasizing that other evidence can establish guilt. This decision emerged from a 40-year-old case where a tuition teacher, accused of raping his student in 1984, argued for his innocence based on the lack of such injuries and claimed the victim's mother had fabricated the accusations.

The court, led by Justices Sandeep Mehta and Prasanna B, dismissed these arguments, stating that medical reports lacking injury marks did not negate other evidence and that each case must be judged on its unique circumstances. Justice Varale further emphasized that physical injuries are not a mandatory requirement for proving rape and the court found no reason to question the mother's integrity or her motivation to falsely implicate the accused.

The legal journey of this case, which spanned 40 years through the trial court, Allahabad High Court, and finally the Supreme Court, saw the trial court convict the accused in 1986, a decision upheld by the High Court after 26 years and subsequently by the Supreme Court 15 years later. The incident involved the teacher isolating the victim, preventing others from entering the room, and the victim's family faced threats when attempting to file the initial police report, resulting in a delayed FIR. Thus ends a long legal tale.