Man accused of raping step daughter acquitted

NEW DELHI: A court here has acquitted a man accused of raping his minor step daughter, terming the prosecution's claim as "inconsistent, improbable and unreliable."
   
A case of rape was registered with the Samaypur Badli police station against Mohd Ashraf on the statement of his wife Shabnam on March 27, 2005. She had alleged that her neighbour had seen Ashraf raping his 10-year-old step daughter.

After examining various prosecution witnesses, the court said that the girl had previously been raped two or three times by the accused.
   
"There is nothing on record to suggest that as to why the victim did not raise any noise at the time of the first incident. She also did not state as to which date, time or place, she was subjected to the very act," Additional Sessions Judge Narinder Kumar said and absolved Ashraf of the charge.
   
The court noted that the victim's mother, in her statement, did not say that her daughter had earlier been subjected to the crime.
   
It further noted that the neighbour had not supported the complainant with regard to her version that she had seen the accused committing the crime.
   
The prosecution case further suffered a setback after the court referred to three days' delay in registering the FIR.