Hang me, screams More

MUMBAI: “Mujhe phansi de do,” pleaded Sunil More, hands folded in prayer. Reacting to his sentence, the former policeman screamed, “Maine kuch nahin kiya. Badnam karne se achha hai ki mujhe phansi de do.”

The climax to the year-long trial befitted a Bollywood film. More blamed the media and police for making him a scapegoat. The defence lawyers had to seek a recess to quieten him.

Labelling More a “sex-starved monster”, public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam asked for the maximum punishment of life sentence. “It will serve as retribution and a deterrent preventing a like-minded man from subjecting some other girl to a fate worse than death! He spoilt the reputation of the police and disgraced his uniform,” he said.

Calling the case an extraordinary one that shook the public’s confidence in the police, Nikam said stringent measures are necessary to redress the wrong to the victim and calm society’s outrage. Quoting the Manusmriti, Nikam said, “Yo akatman dashet kanya sa sadhyo vadam mhrati (The punishment for a rapist is death).”

The defence lawyers resorted to questioning the victim’s character. “It is still not clear what is the relation between the victim and witness no 2 (her male friend),” said advocate Vivek Sudade.