In a landmark decision after 27 years, a special court in Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh, convicted Awadhesh Shukla for the rape of a Dalit woman and sentenced him to 10 years of imprisonment. Special Judge (SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act) Shirin Zaidi found Shukla guilty and imposed a fine of Rs 6,000 on him. The court also warned that failure to pay the fine could result in additional imprisonment. The crime dates back to 1997 when the survivor, in her police complaint filed on March 11, accused Shukla of forcibly dragging her into a field, raping her, and threatening her life if she reported the incident.

The case was initially filed under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as provisions under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The survivor’s persistence over the years, despite delays in the legal process, has led to this final conviction after nearly three decades. The case highlights the struggles faced by victims of sexual violence, especially those from marginalized communities, in accessing timely justice.

According to Additional District Government Counsel Pankaj Sonkar, the long delay in the trial was due to various legal complexities, but the conviction stands as a significant legal victory for the survivor and reinforces the judicial commitment to ensuring justice in sexual assault cases. The case has drawn attention to issues of caste-based discrimination and the long road to justice for Dalit victims in India.