DNA report helps youth walk free in rape case

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Chandigarh, May 16

Nearly three years after the local police arrested a youth in a case registered for raping a minor girl, a local court has acquitted him as the prosecution has failed to prove charges. The police registered a case against the accused for the offences punishable under sections 376, 506 of the IPC and section 6 of the POCSO Act in 2018 on a complaint by a minor pregnant girl who was admitted to the Government Multi-speciality Hospital, Sector 16, Chandigarh.

The girl had alleged that the accused living in her vicinity raped her many times and she got pregnant.

She said due to his threat she never disclosed his act to anyone. Finding a prima facie case, the court framed charges against the accused to which he pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

Yadvinder Singh Sandhu, counsel for the accused, argued before the court that the accused was falsely implicated in the case. Sandhu also argued before the court that the DNA sample of the victim’s child did not match with that fo the accused. The counsel alleged that the victim was trying to falsely implicate the accused to save someone.

He argued the DNA samples were obtained twice but did not match. He said there were contradictions in the statements of the victim also before the court. After hearing the arguments, Swati Sehgal, Judge, Fast-Track Court, acquitted the accused.