Overview
- Bombay High Court dismissed a father's appeal and upheld life imprisonment for raping his minor daughter, calling the false-implication claim over discontinued studies far-fetched.
- The bench emphasized school records and affidavits as reliable proof of age under Section 35 of the Evidence Act, finding no need for ossification tests.
- The court described the survivor’s testimony as steadfast and found medical findings of old hymenal tears consistent with her account.
- Applying Section 376(2), the Bombay High Court held that rape by a parent in a position of trust warrants life imprisonment for the remainder of natural life.
- The High Courts of Meghalaya and Punjab & Haryana separately upheld convictions and lengthy sentences, rejecting defenses of age doubt, delay in FIRs, and alleged false implication tied to old disputes.