'Child's Testimony Alone Can Secure Conviction If Reliable': Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has upheld a man's 12-year jail term for raping a 10-year-old girl in 2017, saying the child's testimony inspired confidence and was reliable, and the conviction could rest upon it alone.

Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri passed the order on September 3, while dismissing an appeal filed by the convict, Tonny.

"The settled position of law is that even if the victim is the sole witness to the incident, a conviction can be sustained if her testimony is found to be credible and reliable. If the testimony of the child victim inspires confidence and is reliable, the conviction can rest upon it," the judge said.

According to the FIR, the convict worked at a wood workshop near the child's school and lured her with food items such as chowmein and 'kachori', before repeatedly raping her inside his shop.

He further threatened to "drown her in a drain or cut her like a piece of wood" if she disclosed the abuse.

The judge noted that child's stand remained consistent and credible, and the accused was not able to demolish her testimony in cross-examination. 

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