GOPAL CHANDRAS @ GOPAL CHANDRA & ANR. vs STATE OF BIHAR

The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of the appellants under Section 376 IPC for the rape of Amita Bhatt, restoring the original sentence of five years imprisonment. The Court found that the High Court erred in reducing the sentence to three years based on the time elapsed since the offence occurred in 1983, emphasizing that the gravity of the crime against a vulnerable victim warranted a stricter punishment. The appeal was dismissed, and the trial court's sentence was reinstated, with directions for the accused to serve the remainder of their sentence.