Delay in lodging FIR by rape victims is understandable and cannot be a ground for granting any relief to the accused,the Supreme Court has ruled,upholding the conviction of three persons in a gang rape case. A bench of justices H S Bedi and Gyan Sudha Mishra said that in incidents of rape,particularly when the victim is assaulted by a gang,it was difficult for the woman to promptly lodge a complaint since she has to consider the social stigma attached to it. A victim of gang rape inevitably suffers acute trauma and it is some time before such a victim is in a position to make a lucid and sensible statement. Moreover,rape itself brings enormous shame to the victim and it is after much persuasion that a rape victim goes to the police station to lodge a report and if some delay is occasioned,that cannot in any way detract from the other credible evidence," the bench said
