New Delhi: In a case that underscored how ingrained habits can betray calculated deception, a sessions court, dismissing the claim of mistaken identity, convicted a man for raping a six-year-old in 2017 and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life.
The court of additional sessions judge Anu Aggarwal, on March 21, convicted the man for the penal provisions of rape, kidnapping, criminal intimidation, and under Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of POCSO Act. The court noted that while an individual might consciously attempt to fabricate an identity, deeply ingrained habits—such as signing one’s name—often persist unconsciously.
“There is an old saying, ‘Old habits die hard’. The accused may lie about his identity and may also change his name. He may also prepare documents to hide his true identity, but some habits are incorporated into our day-to-day functioning and are embedded in our minds so deeply that unconsciously, we keep on repeating the same. The accused consciously lied about his identity, but unconsciously, he kept on signing various documents during the trial with the name ‘Mantram’ in Hindi,” the judge said.
This inconsistency reinforced the prosecution’s case, ultimately leading to his conviction. He was sentenced to life by the court on March 25.
Additional public prosecutor Arun KV submitted before the court that the prosecution has proved the case as against the accused beyond all reasonable doubt.
Allegations against Mantram were that he kidnapped a six-year-old girl, took her to his house, and committed aggravated penetrative sexual assault on her. He also allegedly threatened her not to disclose the incident.
During the trial, the accused denied the charges, claiming that he was not ‘Mantram’ but ‘Patiram’. He produced multiple documents and defence witnesses to support his assertion. However, his own conduct in court undermined his defence—his habitual signature.
Despite insisting that his name was Patiram, the accused repeatedly signed court documents as Mantram in Hindi. This pattern emerged at critical junctures. First, when charges were framed against him on Aug 23, 2018, again, when his statement under Section 313 CrPC was recorded on Nov 11, 2024, spanning 29 pages, each bearing his signature as ‘Mantram’. Yet again, when he testified as a defence witness, he still maintained that he was Patiram, but signed as ‘Mantram’.
