Justice for Survivors: Lessons from the Prajwal Revanna Conviction
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Polity and Governance (Key Indian Penal Code - IPC sections, Information Technology - IT Act, Special Courts), Social Issues (Crime against Women).
Mains:
GS Paper 1: Role of women and women’s organization, Social empowerment.
GS Paper 2: Structure, organization and functioning of the Judiciary; Criminal Justice System; Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of vulnerable sections (women).
GS Paper 4 (Ethics): Law and Conscience; Accountability; Probity in Governance.
Key Highlights from the News
Prajwal Revanna, former MP, was sentenced to life imprisonment in a rape case.
This verdict offers hope in a scenario where powerful and influential accused individuals often escape punishment.
A Special Court of Sessions, which hears cases against MPs and MLAs, pronounced the verdict.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Karnataka government investigated the case.
Video footage, DNA analysis, and the survivor's testimony were crucial evidence in the case.
The conviction was for crimes including repeated rape (IPC Section 376(2)(n)), criminal intimidation (IPC 506), and violation of privacy (IT Act Section 66E).
This speedy trial and conviction will provide hope to other survivors fighting for justice in sexual assault cases.
The article argues that government systems need to act swiftly and sensitively to create a safe space for survivors to come forward without fear.
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