Murali v. State of Karnataka

Crl.A.No.2334(of(2025( IN,THE,HIGH,COURT,OF,KARNATAKA,AT,BENGALURU, THDATED,THIS,THE,13 ,DAY,OF,MARCH,,2026, BEFORE, THE,HON'BLE,MR.,JUSTICE,G.,BASAVARAJA, CRIMINAL(APPEAL(NO.2334(OF(2025( BETWEEN:, MURALI,, S/O,NARAYANAPPA, AGED,ABOUT,32,YEARS, R/AT,MOTHI,NAGAR, IN,FRONT,OF,MALBAR,SQUARE, NEAR,MARKET, BENGALURU,560,032, …APPELLANT, (BY,SRI,RAJATH,,ADVOCATE), , AND:, , STATE,OF,KARNATAKA, BY,PARAPPANA,AGRAHARA, REP.,B,Y,THE,STATE,PUBLIC,PROSECUTOR, HIGH,COURT,OF,KARNATAKA, AMBEDKAR,VEEDHI, BENGALURU,–,560,001, …RESPONDENT, (BY,SRI,B.,LAKSHMAN,,HCGP), , , THIS,CRL.A.,FILED,UNDER,SECTION,374(2),OF,CRPC,(U/S, 415(2), OF, BHARATIYA, NAGARIK, SURAKSHA, SANHITA,, 2023), PRAYING, TO, SET, ASIDE, THE, ORDER, OF, CONVICTION, AND, SENTENCE, DATED, 23.08.2024, PASSED, IN, SC, NO.448/2017, WHEREBY,THE,APPELLANT,WAS,CONVICTED,FOR,THE,OFFENCE, P/U/S,376(1),,450,,323,,506-b,OF,IPC;,AND,ETC., 2, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( , IN,THIS,PETITION,ARGUMENTS,BEING,HEARD,,JUDGMENT, RESER, VED, ON, 06.02.2026,, COMING, ON, FOR, "PRONOUNCEMENT,OF,ORDERS",,THIS,DAY,,THE,COURT,MADE, THE,FOLLOWING:, , CORAM:,HON'BLE,MR.,JUSTICE,G.,BASAVARAJA, , CAV(JUDGMENT( (

¶1The, appellant, has, preferred, this, appeal, against, the, rdjudgment,of,conviction,and,order,on,sentence,dated,23 ,August,, 2024,passed,in,SC,No.448,of,2017,by,the,LIII,Additional,City, Civil,&,Sessions,Judge,,Bengaluru,(for,short,"the,trial,Court").,

¶2For, the, sake, of, convenience,, the, parties, herein, are, referred,to,as,per,their,rank,and,status,before,the,trial,Court.,,

¶3Brief, facts, leading, to, this, appeal, are, that,, the, Police, Inspector,, Parappana, Agrahara, Police, Station,, submitted, the, charge,sheet,against,the,accused,Nos.1,and,2,for,commission,of, offences,under,Sections,450,,341,,323,,397,,376,,506-B,and,176, of,the,Indian,Penal,Code.,,

¶4It,is,alleged,by,the,prosecution,that,the,complainant,was, residing,in,Sri.,Venkat,Naveen,Women,PG,which,was,being,run, ndby,the,second,accused,and,situated,at,2 ,Stage,Electronic,City,, 3, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( falling, within, the, jurisdiction, of, Parappana, Agrahara, Police, Station.,,The,complainant,,who,was,working,in,TCS,,was,residing, th thin,the,said,PG,from,18 ,August,,2016.,On,25 ,August,,2016,at,

2.00,am,,the,complainant,returned,to,the,PG,after,her,work.,As, the,room-mate,of,the,complainant, (CW.2),had,gone,for,work,, the, complainant, who, had, head-ache, took, pain, killer, and, slept, without, locking, the, door, of, the,room., , At, 2.30, am,, when, the, complainant, was, in, a, drowsy, state,, the, accused, No.1, entered, the,room.,,The,complainant,asked,him,in,Tamil,as,to,who,he, was?, at, that, time,, accused, kept, a, knife, on, the, throat, of, the, complainant., , When, the, complainant, tried, to, shout,, accused, threatened,that,he,would,kill,her.,

¶5Accused, asked, for, money, and, the, complainant, told, him, that,she,had,only, Rs.200/-,and, that, she,would, give,whatever, she,had.,,He,asked,for,more,money,for,which,the,complainant, informed, him, in, Tamil, that, she, would, give, her, ATM, card., Accused, focused, torch, light, near, the, throat, of, the, complainant, and, stuffed, bed, sheet, into, the, mouth, of, the, complainant.,,He,then,dragged,her,by,her,hair,and,locked,the, 4, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( door.,,He,then,took,her,near,the,bathroom,and,switched,on,the, light., , He, held, the, face, of, the, complainant, under, the, light.,, Later,,he,pushed,the,complainant,to,the,cot,and,kissed,her,on, her,face.,,He,tried,to,remove,her,night,pant,and,asked,her,to, remove,the,same.,When,the,complainant,refused,the,same,and, tried,to,escape,from,the,place,,accused,threatened,her,with,the, knife, and, removed, his, elastic, track, pant., He, pushed, the, complainant,on,the,bed,and,fell,on,her.,,He,squeezed,the,hands, and,body,of,the,complainant,and,forcefully,raped,her.,,He,once, again,threatened,to,kill,her,with,the,knife,,kissed,her,body,and, once,again,attempted,to,rape,her.,,Thus,,the,accused,No.1,is, stated, to, have, committed, offences, punishable, under, Sections, 450,,341,,323,,397,,376,and,506-B,of,IPC.,,The,Accused,No.2, who,is,the,owner,of,the,PG,where,the,victim,was,residing,,did, not, inform, the, incident, to, the, police, or, any, public, servant, despite,having,information,about,the,same.,,Thus,,the,second, accused,is,stated,to,have,committed,offence,punishable,under, Section,176,of,IPC., 5, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025(

¶6After,filing,the,charge,sheet,,case,was,registered,in,Crime, No.368, of, 2016., Thereafter,, the, case, was, committed, to, the, Court, of, Sessions, and, was, registered, as, SC, No.448, of, 2017.,, Since, the, date, of, arrest,, accused, No.1, is, in, custody,, accused, No.2, was, released, on, bail., , The, charges, framed, against, the, accused,for,the,alleged,offences,and,same,was,read,over,and, explained(to,the,accused,Nos.1,and,2.,,Accused,No.2,,who,is,the, owner, of, the, PG, accommodation,, has, pleaded, guilty, for, the, charges,levelled,against,him,and,he,was,sentenced,to,pay,a,fine, of, Rs.500/-., , In, default, of, payment, of, fine,, he, shall, undergo, simple, imprisonment, for, 2, days, and, he, has, paid, the, fine, amount., Accused, No.1, pleaded, not, guilty, and, claimed, to, be, tried.,

¶7To,prove,the,guilt,of,the,accused,in,all,,thirteen,witnesses, were,examined,as,PW1,to,13;,24,documents,were,marked,as, Exhibits,P1,to,P24,and,sixteen,material,objects,were,marked,as, MO1,to,16.,

¶8On,closure,of,prosecution,side,evidence,,statement,of,the, accused, under, Section, 313, of, the, Code, of, Criminal, Procedure, 6, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( was, recorded., The, accused, has, totally, denied, the, evidence, of, prosecution,witnesses,,however,,he,did,not,choose,to,lead,the, defence,evidence,on,his,behalf.,,

¶9Having,heard,the,arguments,on,both,sides,,trial,Court,has, convicted, the, accused, for, the, offence, under, Sections, 376(1),, 323,,450,and,506-B,of,IPC,and,passed,a,sentence,to,undergo, rigorous,imprisonment,for,a,period,of,10,years,and,to,pay,a,fine, of, Rs.1,00,000/-., The, accused, was, further, sentenced, undergo, rigorous,imprisonment,for,a,period,of,2,years,and,pay,fine,of, Rs.50,000/-,for,the,offence,punishable,under,section,450,of,the, IPC.,,The,accused,No.1,is,also,convicted,for,the,offence,under, Section, 323, of, the, IPC, and, sentenced, to, undergo, simple, imprisonment, for, a, period, of, 3, months, and, to, pay, a, fine, of, Rs.1,000/-.,The,accused,No.1,is,also,convicted,for,the,offence, under,Section,506-B,of,the,IPC,and,sentenced,to,undergo,simple, imprisonment, for, a, period, of, 1, year, and, to, pay, a, fine, of, Rs.1,000/-., , Further,, the, trial, court, has, passed, an, order, that, under,Section,428,of,Cr.PC,the,accused,No.1,shall,be,entitled,for, a, period, of, set-off, in, respect, of, the, period, spent, by, him, in, 7, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( thjudicial, custody, from, 05 , September,, 2016, till, date., , Being, aggrieved,by,the,judgment,of,conviction,and,order,of,sentence,( the,appellant,had,preferred,this,appeal.,

¶10Sri,Rajath,,learned,counsel,for,the,appellant,would,submit, that,the,impugned,order,of,conviction,and,sentence,passed,by, the,trial,Court,are,against,the,law,,procedure,and,facts,of,the, case., The, learned, Sessions, Judge, erred, in, holding, that, the, appellant,is,guilty,of,the,alleged,commission,of,offences.,,It,is, also, submitted, that, the, learned, Sessions, Judge, has, erred, in, believing, the, uncorroborated, version, of, the, prosecution., , It, is, submitted, that, the, case, was, registered, against, one, Uday, and, that,there,is,two,days,delay,in,filing,the,complaint.,The,charge, sheet, is, filed, against, the, accused, Murali., , Even, under, Section, 164,of,the,Cr.PC,,the,victim,has,stated,the,name,of,the,accused, as,Uday,and,DNA,report(was(filed,after,filing,the,charge,sheet,, after, lapse, of, 10,months., , The, contents, of, Exhibit, P1, itself, is, doubtful,and,recording,of,evidence,has,begun,almost,after,lapse, of,over,6,years,from,the,date,of,filing,the,final,report,,which,by, itself,,has,violated,the,sanctity,of,trial.,, 8, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025(

¶11PW4-Dr.,Sujatha,,clearly,stated,that,hymen,of,the,victim, was,not,intact,and,there,was,no,history,of,sexual,assault,on,the, victim., , Despite, there, is, delay, of, two, days, in, lodging, the, complaint,,it,is,evident,that,the,alleged,assault,is,said,to,have, been,caused,on,the,face,of,the,evidence,of,doctor,,which,goes,to, prove,the,contrary.,The,collection,of,blood,samples,in,criminal, cases,is,valid,only,if,it,follows,the,prescribed,legal,procedures,, which, may, include, oversight, by, a, magistrate, or, registered, medical,practitioner.,,In,the,present,case,,blood,sample,which,is, imperative, to, trace, and, confirm, the, identity, of, the, appellant, thherein,,was,said,to,have,been,taken,on,16 ,November,,2016., ndFinal,report,is,filed,on,22 ,November,,2016,,which,would,only, demonstrate, that, entire, procedure, of, collecting, and, matching, blood, samples, was, only, to, implicate, the, appellant, and, not, to, ascertain, the, truth., The, learned, Sessions, Judge, failed, to, appreciate,the,evidence,and,materials,on,record,and,to,note,that, the, prosecution, has, failed, to, prove, the, case, beyond, all, reasonable,doubt.,,On,all,these,grounds,,he,sought,for,allowing, this,appeal.,, 9, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025(

¶12Alternatively,, the, learned, counsel, would, submit, that,, if, the, Court,comes,to,the,conclusion,that,the,order,of,conviction,passed,by, the,trial,Court,is,in,accordance,with,law,,the,sentence,passed,by,the, trial,Court,may,be,modified,as,the,trial,Court,has,passed,an,order,to, run, the, sentence, consecutively, and, further, he, would, submit, that, accused,is,not,in,a,position,to,pay,fine,amount,as,imposed,by,the, trial,Court.,,In,the,trial,Court,,the,accused,was,represented,through, Legal,Aid,Counsel.,,The,present,appeal,itself,is,filed,after,lapse,of, more,than,a,year.,The,accused,is,in,judicial,custody,for,more,than,9, years, and, 5, months., , On, all, these, grounds,, he, sought, for, modification,of,sentence.,

¶13As, against, this,, the, learned, High, Court, Government, Pleader,Sri.,B,Lakshman,,would,submit,that,the,trial,Court,has, properly,appreciated,the,materials,on,record,in,accordance,with, law,and,facts.,Though,the,name,of,the,accused,is,different,in,the, FIR,and,the,charge-sheet,,the,victim,has,identified,the,accused, in, the, test, identification, parade., , Accordingly,, he, sought, for, dismissal,of,the,appeal., 10, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025(

¶14Having,heard,the,arguments,on,both,sides,and,on,perusal, of,materials,placed,before,this,Court,,the,following,points,would, arise,for,my,consideration:,

i), Whether,the,trial,Court,is,justified,in,convicting,the, accused,for,the,offences,punishable,under,Sections, 450,,323,,376,and,506-B,of,the,IPC?,,

ii), Whether,the,appellant,is,entitled,for,modification,of, sentence?,

iii) What,order?, Regarding(Point(No.1:(

¶15I,have,carefully,examined,the,materials,placed,before,this, Court., , Inspector,, Parappana, Agrahara, Police, Station,, has, laid, charge-sheet, against, the, accused, for, the, offence, punishable, under,Sections,450,,323,,376,,506-B,and,176,of,Indian,Penal, Code.,,The,trial,Court,has,convicted,the,accused,for,the,offence, under,Sections,450,,323,,376,and,506-B,of,Indian,Penal,Code.,

¶16The,Genesis,of,the,case,arise,from,the,complaint,filed,by, P1,victim,as,per,exhibit,P1,in,which,it,is,stated,as,under:, , "Regarding,rape,by,unknown,person,in,PG,, 11, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( ,, As,I,was,staying,in,the,above-mentioned,PG,from, 18/8/2016, and, I, was, working, in, TCS, as, system, administrator, my, shift, timing, afternoon, 2:30, p.m., to, 12:00, a.m., on, 25/08/2016, morning, I, was, in, severe, headache,and,slept,at,2:00,a.m.,after,duty,time,I,did,not, lock,the,door,my,friends,shift,gets,over,at,5:00,a.m.,and, room,cleaning,people,also,come,at,7:00,a.m.,I,informed, about, this, to, my, friend, and, slept, at, around, 2:30, a.m, there, was, knife, on, my, neck, he, was, not, letting, me, to, shout.,,At,first,I,thought,It,was,my,PG,owner.,He,torched, the, light, over, my, neck, by, snatching, for, jewels, I, don't, have,he,asked,for,money,and,I,said,I,have,only,200,Rs, and,by,keeping,knife,on,my,neck,he,locked,the,door,he, was, dark, at, the, time., I, can, push, or, try, to, attack, him, because, he, was, fatty, one., Then, he, pulled, me, over, bathroom,with,bed,sheet,on,my,mouth,and,knife,on,my, neck, and, he, hold, my, hand, back, to, see, my, face, by, switching,on,the,light,after,that,he,pushed,me,towards, my,bed,and,raped.,,If,I,shout,also,he,tries,to,stab,me,and, I,talked,with,him,friendly,to,go,that,my,friend,will,come, and,said,him,to,come,tomorrow,at,2:00,a.m.,so,no,one, will,be,there.,,After,half,and,hour,he,went,from,my,room, and, suddenly, I, locked, door, and, I, informed, my, friends., Before, I, inform, my, friends, I, feel, I, was, bleeding, lightly, due.,to,I,got,wound.,,I,was,conscious,at,the,time,I,can, identify,that,guy.,He,said,his,name,is,Uday,and,from,near, PG,and,came,by,terrace.,, 12, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( , Delayed,compliant,is,because,I,was,stressed,and,I, was, finding, the, help, of, people, who, are, staying, at, Bangalore., So, I, came, to, give, complaint, today., Please, consider,it,as,a,confidential.,,Please,take,necessary,action, against,that,culprit.", th17. The, complaint, was, filed, on, 27 , August,, 2016, at, 19.30, hours., , On, the, basis, of, the, complaint,, case, was, registered, in, Crime,No.368,of,2016,against,accused,Uday,for,commission,of, offence,punishable,under,Sections,450,,323,,376,,506-B,and,176, thof,Indian,Penal,Code,and,FIR,was,submitted,the,court,on,27 , August,,2016,at,11.00,pm,as,per,Exhibit,P8.,,After,registration, of, the, case,, police, have, visited, the, spot, and, conducted, spot, thpanchanama, on, 28 , August,, 2016, as, per, Exhibit, P3, in, the, presence, of, Panchas., Police, have, also, contacted, seizure, panchanama, as, per, Exhibit, P4., The, investigating, officer, has, obtained, medical, certificate, from, the, medical, officer, and, recorded, the, statement, of, witnesses, and, submitted, charge-sheet.,

¶18To,substantiate,the,case,,prosecution,has,examined,victim, as,PW1.,,She,has,deposed,in,her,evidence,as,follows:, 13, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( , "I, was, working, as, System, Administrator, in, TCS, Company,,Bengaluru,during,2016.,At,that,time,I,stayed, in,the,Venkateshwara,Naveen,Ladies,PG,at,Eletronic,City., C.W.2,is,my,roommate,at,PG.,C.W.3,is,neighbor,in,the, PG.,C.W.4,is,my,coileague.,In,the,night,of,25th,and,in,the, morning,of,August,26.,2016,my,shift,closed,at,12,in,the, midnight.,I,came,to,PG,at,12.30,am.,My,roommate,was, not,in,the,room,she,was,on,duty,and,she,was,supposed, to,return,to,PG,at,5,am.,I,had,severe,head,ache,and,took, a,tablet,and,slept,,at,1,am.,At,that,time,I,did,not,closed, the,door,because,C.W.2,was,to,come,to,the,room,and,for, her,convenience,I,did,not,locked.,It,was,usual,procedure, we,were,following.,Around,2.30,am,I,noticed,torch,light, on, my, face., I, opened, my, eyes, and, found, somebody, standing, near, the, door, holding, torch, on, left, hand, and, knife, with, right, hand., I, asked, hiin, in, Tamil, Anna, yar"., Accused,kept,knife,on,my,neck,and,told,me,not,to,shout, and, asked, money., I, told, that, I, had, Rs.200/-, cash, and, ATM,and,I,will,give,it,to,him,and,leave,me.,That,money, was, not, sufficient, for, him., So, he, pulled, me, to, the, bathroom, and, switched, on, bathroom, light, and, saw, my, face.,I,also,saw,his,face.,I,covered,my,mouth,with,my, bed,sheet,on,the,bed.,Then,he,locked,room,door.,Till,that, time,he,had,holding,knife,on,my,neck.,He,pulled,me,to, the,bed,and,asked,me,to,remove,my,3%,pant.,He,told, something,in,Kannada,as,remove,cloth.,Then,he,forced, me,to,remove,pant,and,pressed,my,breast,strongly,and, raped,me.,I,could,not,shout,since,Accused,was,holding, 14, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( knife,on,my,neck.,Again,he,started,to,kiss,me,again,and, again,but,I,resisted.,I,found,that,,he,was,drunk,at,that, time.,Then,I,started,friendly,conversation,with,him,due,to, fear,and,to,escape,from,any,harm.,I,told,him,that,,my, friend,will,be,coming,to,room,now,and,to,go,away,and, come,on,next,day,2,am.,I,asked,by,smiling,his,name,and, he,told,as,Uday.,Then,he,asked,my,name,and,I,told,as, Ramya., Later, he, asked, me, whether, he, has, to, come, tomorrow, pakka, and, pulled, my, hair, and, went, away., , , 2.,Then,I,locked,the,door,and,tried,to,call,C.W.3, who,was,in,next,room,and,asked,her,to,lock,her,room, door.,At,5,am,C.W.2,came,to,my,room,and,I,revealed,her, everything., After, discussing, with, my, friends, I, lodged, complaint,at,7,pm,on,27.8.2016.,I,was,under,fear,and, panic,and,not,knowing,the,police,station,and,I,was,new,to, the, place., ace., Hence,, there, was, delay, in, filing, complaint.",

¶19The,complaint,is,marked,as,Exhibit,P1.,,Further,,she,has, deposed, as, to, the, mahazar, conducted, by, the, Police, as, per, Exhibits,P2,and,P3,and,also,seizure,of,MOs1,to,6.,,Further,,she, has,deposed,that,she,gave,her,statement,under,section,164,of, CRPC,after,fifteen,days,of,filing,the,complaint.,,And,after,one, month, after, lodging, the, complaint,, police, called, her, to, the, Central, Jail,, Bengaluru., , She, went, there, and, identified, the, 15, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( accused, in, test, identification, parade, on, the, basis, of, colour,, height,,and,other,physical,identity,which,she,remembered.,

¶20PW2-Soudhamini,,has,deposed,in,her,evidence,as,follows:, , "I, was, working, as, System, Administrator, in, TCS, Company.,Bengaluru,during,2016.,At,that,time,I,stayed, in,the,Venkateshwara,Naveen,Ladies,PG,at,Eletronic,City., I,know,P.W.1.,she,is,my,roommate,in,the,PG.,C.W.3,is, neighbor,in,the,PG.,My,shift,starts,from,7,pm,and,closes, at,5,am,in,the,morning.,In,our,room,in,the,PG,we,used,to, not,to,close,the,door,in,the,night,because,I,was,to,come, to,the,room,at,5,am,and,for,my,convenience,and,also,for, cleaning, purpose, door, did, not, locked., It, was, usual, procedure,we,were,following.,On,26.8.2016,after,finishing, my,shift,duty,at,5,am,I,came,to,my,room,and,I,found, that, P.W.1, was, standing, in, the, door, and, crying, and, revealed, me, about, the, rape, committed, on, her, on, the, same,day,at,2.30,am.,After,discussing,with,our,friends,, PW1,lodged,complaint,at,7,PM,on,27.08.2016.,Police,has, enquired,me,about,the,incidence.",

¶21PW3-Arjun, Unnikrishnan, has, deposed, as, to, the, mahazar, contacted, by, the, police, as, per, Exhibit, P3,, and, also, seizure, of, blanket,MO1., 16, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( th22. PW1-Dr,Sujatha,has,deposed,that,on,27 ,August,2016,at, 10:30,pm,,CW1,came,with,the,history,of,sexual,assault,and,has, deposed,as,to,the,examination,of,the,victim.,,She,has,opined, that,there,is,no,recent,sexual,assault,on,the,body,of,the,victim, and,she,has,deposed,as,to,material,objects,MO1,to,14.,

¶23PW5-Sakappa,said, to,be,the,attester, to,mahazar,Exhibit, P4,,has,not,supported,the,case,of,prosecution.,

¶24PW6-Dr.,Pradeep,Kumar,,has,deposed,in,his,evidence,as,to, the,issuance,of,medical,certificate,pertaining,to,the,accused.,

¶25PW7-Dr, Chennegondappa, Dyamagondappa, Kalasagowda,, thChief,Medical,Officer,,has,deposed,that,on,16 ,November,2016,, he,has,taken,the,sample,blood,of,accused,No.1,and,handed,over, the,same,to,the,Police.,

¶26PW8-S.H.,Shivakumar,,General,Manager,,KSTDC,who,was, then,Tahsildar,,has,deposed,as,to,the,test,identification,parade, and,issuance,of,a,report,as,per,Exhibit,P7., 17, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025(

¶27PW-Babu,, Sub-Inspector, of, Police, and, PW10, Prashant, Babu,, Police, Inspector, have, deposed, as, to, their, respective, investigation.,

¶28PW11-Dr., Deepa, has, deposed, in, her, evidence, as, to, issuance, of, Forensic, Science, Laboratory, report, as, per, Exhibit, P23.,

¶29PW120-L, Purushottam,, Assistant, Director, and, Technical, Manager,,Forensic,Science,Laboratory,,Bangalore,has,deposed,in, his, evidence, as, to, the, examination, of, articles, 1, to, 13, and, issuance,of,certificate,Exhibit,P24.,

¶30PW13-Krishna,Kumar,B.K.,,has,deposed,as,to,his,part,of, investigation.,

¶31On,careful,examination,of,material,evidence,of,PWs1,to,4,, Exhibit,P23,FSL,report,,Exhibit,P22,DNA,report,,it,is,clear,that, there,is,sufficient,evidence,to,constitute,the,alleged,commission, of,offence.,

¶32The,name,of,accused,is,Murali.,,At,the,time,of,filing,FIR,, his, name, is, shown, as, Uday., , Even, in, the, statement, under, 18, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( Section,164,of,Code,of,Criminal,Procecdure,made,by,the,victim, as,per,Exhibit,P21,,the,victim,has,stated,that,the,name,of,the, accused,was,Murali.,,When,he,was,asked,about,his,name,he,said, that, his, name, is, Uday., , But, after, arrest, of, the, accused,, it, is, alleged, by, the, prosecution, that, the, name, of, the, accused, is, Murali., , The, accused, Murali, has, been, identified, by, the, victim., Therefore,,mere,say,of,the,accused,that,his,name,is,Uday,,at,the, time,of,filing,FIR,, does,not,mean,that,accused,Murali, has,not, committed, any, offence., PW1, has, clearly, stated, that, after, committing, rape,, the, accused, was, continuously, kissing, the, victim., Then, she, started, conversation, with, him., He, was, continuously,coming,to,her,and,rape,her,again,and,again.,,Then, she, told, him, to, come, next, day,, stating, that, door, will, not, be, latched., , Then, also, he, was, not, leaving., Then, she, asked, the, name,of,the,accused.,He,said,his,name,as,Uday.,,Accused,,might, have, told, his, name, as, Uday, in, order, to, avoid, his, original, identity., , But, subsequently, police, have, arrested, and, then, the, accused,identified,by,the,victim.,Therefore,,in,this,regard,,the, arguments,advanced,on,behalf,of,the,accused/appellant,cannot, be, accepted., The, trial, court, has, properly, appreciated, the, 19, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( materials,on,record,in,proper,perspective,and,had,come,to,the, conclusion,that,accused,has,committed,the,alleged,offence.,

¶33On,examination,and,re-appreciation,of,the,entire,evidence, on,record,independently,,I,do,not,find,any,factual,or,legal,error, in, the, impugned, judgment, of, conviction, passed, by, the, trial, court.,Hence,,I,answer,Point,No.1,in,the,affirmative., Regarding(Point(No.2:,

¶34With,regard,to,modification,of,sentence,is,concerned,,the, trial, Court, has, passed, the, sentence, against, the, accused, as, under:, , "Acting, under, section, 235(2), of, CRPC,, accused, No.1, is, hereby, by, convicted, for, the, offence, punishable, under, section, 376(1), Of, IPC, and, sentenced, to, undergo, rigourous,imprisonment,for,a,period,of,10,years,and,to, pay,a,fine,of,Rs.1,00,000/-,in,default,,to,undergo,simple, imprisonment, for, a, period, of, one, year,, which, shall, run, consecutively., , Accused, No.1, is, hereby, convicted, for, the, fence, punishable, under, section, 450, of, IPC, and, sentenced, to, undergo,imprisonment,for,a,period,of,2,years,and,to,pay, a, fine, of, Rs.50,000/-, in, default,, to, undergo, simple, 20, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( imprisonment,for,a,period,of,six,months,which,shall,run, consecutively., , Accused, No.1, is, hereby, convicted, for, offence, punishable, under, section, 323, of, Indian, penal, code, and, sentenced,to,undergo,simple,imprisonment,for,a,period,of, 3, months, and, to, pay, a, fine, of, Rs.1000/-, in, default, to, undergo, simple, imprisonment, for, period, of, one, month, which,shall,run,concurrently., , Accused, No.1, is, hereby, convicted, for, the, films,, punishable, intersection, 506-B, of, IPC, and, sentenced, to, undergo, simple, imprisonment, for, a, period, of, one, year, and, to, pay, a, fine, of, Rs.1,000/-, in, default, to, undergo, simple,imprisonment,for,a,period,of,three,months,,which, shall,run,concurrently., , Acting, under, Section, 428, of, CRPC,, accused, No.1, shall,be,entitled,for,a,period,of,set,off,in,respect,of,the, period,spent,by,him,in,custody,from,59,2016,till,Date,(7, years,,11,months,,and,18,days)., , Out,of,the,final,amount,of,Rs.1,50,000/-,is,ordered, to,be,paid,to,the,victim,after,the,amount,is,deposited,to, the, state., Further,, the, victim,, Lady, is, entitled, to, compensation, under, NALSA's, compensation, scheme., Office, to, send, a, copy, of, his, judgment, to, the, DLSA, for, suggesting, appropriate, compensation, payable, to, the, victim., 21, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( , MO5-knife,is,ordered,to,be,confiscated,to,the,state, after, the, appeal, period., MO1, to, M4,, M6, to, 16, are, considered, worthless, and, ordered, to, be, destroyed, after, the,appeal,period., , Free,copy,of,the,judgment,shall,be,supplied,to,the, accused,No.1., , Office, to, send, the, conviction, warrant, to, the, superintendent,, Central, prison,, Parappana, Agrahara,, Bangalore,for,enforcement.",

¶35It, is, submitted, by, the, learned, concert, for, the, appellant, that,the,accused,hails,from,poor,family,and,even,was,not,in,a, position,to,prefer,an,appeal.,Even,after,lapse,of,one,year,from, the,date,of,judgment,,it,was,only,through,legal,aid,council.,This, appeal,was,instituted,and,the,accused,is,in,individual,custody,for, more, than, nine, years, six, months., The, accused, is, not, in, a, position, to, pay, fine, amount, as, imposed, by, the, trial, court., Considering,all,these,litigating,circumstances,,he,sought,to,pass, a,sentence,only,for,a,period,of,10,years,and,pass,the,order,to, run,the,sentence,concurrently.,Considering,the,submission,of,the, internet,council,for,the,appellant/accused,and,also,the,financial, status,of,the,accused,and,period,of,detention,already,undergone, 22, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( by,the,accused,,it,is,just,proper,to,modify,the,sentence,imposed, by,the,trial,court.,Accordingly,,I,answer,point,number,two,,partly, in,the,affirmative.,, Regarding(Point(No.3:,

¶36For,the,reasons,aforestated,and,discussions,,I,proceed,to, pass,the,following:, O(R(D(E(R(

i),, Appeal,is,allowed,in,part;, rdii),, Judgment,of,conviction,dated,23 ,August,,2024, passed, in, SC, No.448, of, 2017, by, the, LIII, Additional, City, Civil, &, Sessions, Judge,, Bengaluru,,is,confirmed;, rdiii) Sentence, dated, 23 , August,, 2024, passed, in, SC,No.448,of,2017,by,the,LIII,Additional,City, Civil,&,Sessions,Judge,,Bengaluru,,is,modified, as,under:, , 23, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( , a. Accused/appellant, shall, undergo, rigorous, imprisonment, for, a, period, of, ten,years,and,to,pay,fine,of,Rs.1,000/-, for,the,offence,under,Section,376(1),of, IPC;, b. Accused/appellant, shall, undergo, rigorous, imprisonment, for, a, period, of, two,years,and,to,pay,fine,of,Rs.1,000/-, for, the, offence, punishable, under, Section,450,of,IPC;, c. Accused/appellant,shall,undergo,Simple, Imprisonment, for, a, period, of, three, months, and, to, pay, fine, of, Rs.1,000/-, for, the, offence, under, Section, 323, of, IPC;, d. Accused/appellant,shall,undergo,simple, imprisonment,for,a,period,of,one,year, and, to, pay, fine, of, Rs.1,000/-, for, offence,under,Section,506-B,IPC;, e. All, the, sentences, shall, run, concurrently;, 24, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( f. , Accused/appellant,is,entitled,for,set-off, for, the, period, of, detention, already, undergone, in, judicial, custody, as, per, Section,428,of,Cr.PC;,

iv),, Registry,to,send,the,copy,of,this,judgment,along, with,trial,Court,records,to,the,concerned,Court;,

v),, Registry, is, directed, to, send, the, copy, of, the, modified,conviction,warrant,as,per,modification, of, sentence, passed, by, this, Court, to, the, Superintendent,, Central, Prison,, Parappana, Agrahara,,Bengaluru;,

vi), Registry, is, also, directed, to, send, copy, of, this, judgment, free, of, cost, to, the, Superintendent,, Central, Prison,, Parappana, Agrahara, with, a, direction,to,furnish,the,same,to,the,accused,,as, accused,is,in,judicial,custody;,

vii), Victim, is, entitled, for, compensation, under, NALSA's, Compensation, Scheme, as, ordered, by, the,trial,Court.,,Registry,to,send,the,copy,of,this, 25, Crl.A.(No.2334(of(2025( judgment, to, the, Member, Secretary,, District, Legal, Services, Authority,, Bangalore, (Urban), District, to, award, suitable, compensation, to, the, Victim,under,Victim,Compensation,Scheme., Sd/-( (G.(BASAVARAJA)( JUDGE( , , Lnn, ,