The plea of "poor family background" of the convicts did not cut ice with a Delhi court which awarded life imprisonment to all five of them in the 2010 Dhaula Kuan gangrape case.
Additional Sessions Judge Virender Bhat said taking "lenient view" would be against the "societal interest" and asked whether they not unaware about their family background and economic status when they committed the crime.
"The family background of the convicts and their economic status as canvassed by their respective counsel do not persuade me to take any lenient view in favour of the convicts.
"Their family background and economic status was not unknown to them at the time when they committed the crime. It was for them to keep their families and economic status in mind at that time and not to resort to any such criminal activity," the judge said.
"In my opinion, any liberal attitude shown towards the offenders, particularly rape convicts, by imposing meagre sentences sentences or taking a sympathetic view merely on account of their family background or their economic status would be counter productive in the long run and against the societal interest, which needs to cared for by imposing a stern sentence," he said.
