When “Mens Rea” Coincides As A Femme Fatale: An Insight In Relation With The Case Of K.M. Nanavati V. State Of Maharashtra
Soham Banerjee, J.B. Law College, Guwahati
ABSTRACT
The renowned case of K.M. Nanavati v. State Of Maharashtra1 will intrigue the minds of all persons who are interested in observing a murder arising out of love, distrust, anger and perhaps, ego to the most extent. Mens Rea stands for the guilty mind which again is a reflection of the various external factors that forced the criminal to undertake a crime and in this case, it is murder. The jury decided the case for the Bombay High Court where the final verdict was delivered by the Supreme Court of India, convicting Commander Nanavati. The case explores the complex nature of relationships and their impact on the various phases of life and its features. Sometimes, what we see seems to be a clear reflection of the facts but in reality, the truth lies somewhere else, the paper intends to identify the nature of mens rea as a femme fatale because the intention drives action and therefore, the intention must be carefully understood. The author through this paper tries to understand whether the actions of Ms Sylvia constitute an instance of femme fatale and derive a conclusion based on it. The author puts this aspect considering the mind as feminine irrespective of the gender of the person and this paper explores the possibility of the crime committed through the above- mentioned case.
Keywords: Femme Fatale, Mens Rea, Crime.
