People will obey laws only if punishment like chopping hands and legs is imposed: Karnataka HC

People are committing crimes casually and in a routine manner because offenders are not dealt with firmly enough under the law, the Karnataka High Court recently observed while refusing to grant bail to a 23-year-old rape accused [Gopi Reddy Karthik Reddy Vs State of Karnataka].

Justice R Nataraj even observed that people are taking advantage of the rights available to them under the democratic setup and perhaps stricter punishment like in middle-easter countries, which sever limbs of guilty persons, would get people to obey laws.

""Law has lost its teeth because we don't deal with offenders firmly. That is why committing an offence has become so easy unlike in the middle-east. If you chop leg or hand, perhaps only then people will realise to comply with law. Because we have a democracy, everybody takes it (for granted)," the Court remarked.

The made strong oral observations while hearing the bail plea filed by Gopi Reddy Karthik Reddy, a student of MIT Manipal, who has been in judicial custody since April 5 for the offence or rape.

"If you eat salt, you got to drink water. Let him stay another four-five days. Let him get used to the prison. Who knows, if you are punished, you may have to go back," the Court remarked while refusing to grant bail to Reddy.

The Court then notice to the State on Reddy's bail plea and directed that the matter be listed for further consideration on June 8.

Advocate Ayantika Mondal, appearing for Reddy, submitted that the accused has been incarcerated for nearly two months and that no offence had been committed.

It was argued that the allegations pertained to an incident that allegedly took place almost three years ago and that continued detention would adversely affect the petitioner's professional future.

According to the prosecution, the complainant and the accused were classmates at Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal.

The woman alleged that the accused professed his love for her in July 2023 and that she initially reciprocated his feelings. However, she later became suspicious of his character and distanced herself from him.

The complaint states that on September 12, 2023, the accused persuaded her to accompany him to the apartment where he was residing, allegedly to discuss their relationship. Once there, he allegedly sexually assaulted her against her will.

The complainant claimed that the incident caused severe trauma and depression, for which she underwent treatment at KMC in Manipal. She subsequently approached the National Commission for Women in Bengaluru before lodging a formal police complaint.

The case was registered at the Udupi Women Police Station for offences punishable under Sections 375(a) and 376 of the Indian Penal Code.