The Karnataka High Court, while rejecting the bail application of a 23-year-old engineering student accused of raping his classmate, made strong observations on rising crime and the need for stricter enforcement of laws.The court remarked that people often take the freedoms available in a democracy for granted and suggested that stringent punishments, similar to those seen in some Gulf nations, act as stronger deterrents against crime. Justice R Nataraj made the observations while hearing the bail plea of the accused, who has been in judicial custody since April in connection with a rape case dating back to 2023. The court declined to grant bail and posted the matter for further hearing on June 8.The High Court’s remarks have drawn attention because they reflect growing judicial concern over the effectiveness of criminal deterrence and the increasing incidence of serious offences. However, the court’s immediate focus in the case remained the question of bail, which it declined to grant pending further consideration of the matter.