Supreme Court: One Act of Rape Enough to Convict all in Gang Rape if Common Intention Proven

The Supreme Court has upheld the convictions of the accused under Section 376(2)(g) IPC in a gang rape case, ruling that if one accused commits a penetrative act, all co-accused can be held guilty if common intention is proved.

The bench ruled that it is not necessary to show individual acts of rape when the offence is committed jointly.

Referring to Ashok Kumar v. State of Haryana, the Court noted that abduction, illegal confinement, and the victim’s testimony established shared criminal intent.