State Of Andhra Pradesh vs Polamala Raju & Rajarao

The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of the respondent under Section 376 IPC for the rape of a five-year-old girl, confirming the trial court's findings and rejecting the High Court's reduction of the sentence from ten years to five years. The Court emphasized that the prosecution had established its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and noted that under Section 376(2) IPC, the minimum punishment for rape of a child under twelve years is ten years of rigorous imprisonment. The Court held that the High Court's interference with the trial court's discretion in sentencing was unjustified.