Overview
- The High Court denied interim bail to 23-year-old Gopi Reddy Karthik Reddy and kept him in judicial custody after a late-May bail hearing that the court listed for further consideration on June 8.
- The accused has been in custody since April 5 and faces charges registered at Udupi Women Police Station under Sections 375(a) and 376 of the Indian Penal Code for an alleged September 12, 2023 assault.
- During the hearing, Justice R Nataraj said “law has lost its teeth” and suggested extreme corporal punishments such as chopping a limb could deter crime, remarks that were recorded in court and widely reported.
- The defence, led by Advocate Ayantika Mondal, denied the allegation, stressed the incident dates to 2023 and warned that continued pretrial detention could harm the student’s academic and professional future.
- The judge’s oral observations have prompted public and media scrutiny of judicial rhetoric and could prompt formal responses from the State and discussion about how courts balance free speech, criminal policy and the rights of accused and victims.