Tapas Kumar has been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of Rs 1,000. The sessions judge held: ``The prosecution has proved accused's offence beyond reasonable doubt and since the accused has not been able to submit any witness to defend himself, the court has decided to punish the convict.'' The FIR registered at Lodhi Road Police Station on December 18, 1997, says that the victim was alone in her jhuggi in the Rajiv Gandhi camp area. At about 4 p.m, Tapas reportedly came to the victim's house. Her three children were playing outside the house.

Tapas is said to have muffled the victim, after which he assaulted her. The accused tried to escape when the victim raised an alarm. The victim's neighbours were alerted. They gave chase and nabbed him when he fell down. The prosecution produced 13 witnesses. Tapas said that he was not arrested on the same day but after a week. He, however accepted his presence at the victim's house on the said date and time.

``The accused has himself accepted that he had visited the victim's place on that day and he could not prove his arguments that he has been falsely implicated,'' the judge held.