M.Ayoob vs State Of Kerala

The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's conviction of the appellant under Section 376 IPC for rape, confirming a sentence of seven years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 40,000. The Court found that the delay in filing the FIR was adequately explained and the prosecution evidence was credible. The Court also noted that the prosecutrix was under 16 years of age at the time of the incident, emphasizing the seriousness of the offence despite the appellant's request for leniency based on the time elapsed since the incident.