A court here has acquitted a 32-year-old man charged with raping a girl in his neighbourhood a year ago, noting that the alleged victim was in love with him.
NEW DELHI: A court here has acquitted a 32-year-old man charged with raping a girl in his neighbourhood a year ago, noting that the alleged victim was in love with him.
Additional Sessions Judge Deepa Sharma acquitted Sohinder, a resident of Anand Parbat in central Delhi, of offences under sections 376 (rape) and 366 (kidnapping a girl or woman to compel her marriage) of the IPC.
"From the perusal of the record, it was reflected that the 19-year-old-victim was deeply in love with the accused Sohinder and wanted to marry him but her parents did not agree ...she eloped with him of her free will in 2006, which indeed substantiated the fact that she was a consenting party. I am thereby acquitting Sohinder of the charges," the judge said.
The prosecution had alleged that on January four, 2006, Sohinder had allegedly enticed the girl from her residence, eloped with her and then raped her.
In her statement under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), she told the court that Sohinder had not done anything wrong with her and she had not made any allegations of rape against him.
The victim, also a key witness in this case, told the court that she loved Sohinder and he had not pressurised her in any form for marrying him or for staying with him.
Giving credence to the victim's statement, the court gave a clean chit to Sohinder.
"The prosecution has failed to prove the offence committed by the accused and, therefore, Sohinder is ordered to be acquitted of all the charges," the judge said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}