Woman Accused Of Running Brothel Can’t Be Let Off Only Because Victim Is Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrant, Says Bombay HC
The Bombay High Court held that an Indian citizen accused of running a brothel and forcing a woman into prostitution cannot be spared of punishment merely because the woman is allegedly an illegal immigrant from Bangladesh. Justice MM Sathaye said on Thursday that this would be “nothing but victim shaming” and held that merely because the woman is accused of being an illegal immigrant, it would…
The Bombay High Court has ruled that an Indian citizen accused of running a brothel and coercing a woman into prostitution cannot receive leniency merely because the victim is allegedly an illegal immigrant from Bangladesh. Justice MM Sathaye declared that this would be "nothing but victim shaming" and refused to accept the argument, stating it must be dismissed at the beginning.
The court reaffirmed the conviction of Rani Singh under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, and upheld the two-year and three-year prison sentences, which were to be served concurrently. The judge emphasized that the victim is a human being, not an object to be reduced to a label. He criticized the notion that the immigration status of the victim should lessen the severity of the crime committed against her, stating that such an approach ignores the fundamental human dignity of the victim.
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