Chandigarh: Sector 56 man acquitted of rape on marriage pretext

Chandigarh, January 20

Swati Sehgal, Judge, Fast Track Special Court, has acquitted a 33-year-old man in a rape case registered three years ago.

Viney Verma, a resident of Sector 56, Chandigarh, was arrested after the police booked him for commission of the offence punishable under Section 376 (2) (n) of the IPC after he was accused of forcibly developing physical relations with the victim on the pretext of marriage.

The prosecutrix stated that about three years ago, the accused started calling her by taking her number from someone. He asked her to meet him as well as solemnise marriage with him, but she declined his proposal. She informed his parents and sister about it, but the accused started visiting her house and started conversing with her mother and sister regarding their marriage.

He also started forcing her for developing physical relations with him and told her that he would marry her on finding a good job. She alleged that on November 13, 2018, the accused called her to his room and made her drink an intoxicant-laced soft drink following which she became unconscious and he raped her. Later, the accused refused to marry her.

After completion of the investigation, a challan was presented in the court. Finding prima facie a case, the court framed the charges against the accused to which he pleaded not guilty.

Swaraj Arora and Mohak Arora, counsels for the accused, argued that he was falsely implicated in the case. They said there were contradictions in the victim’s statements before the court, the FIR was registered a year after the alleged incident and medical reports had nothing against the accused.

After hearing of the arguments, the court acquitted the accused of the charges framed against him.