A man who was jailed for 10 years for allegedly raping a woman was acquitted of charges on Saturday by the Delhi High Court which cited that the complainant was in a live-in relationship with the accused, and that her statement didn't inspire confidence, reported PTI. Justice Pratibha Rani set aside the judgment passed by a trial court that found the accused guilty in 2013, and awarded him a sentence of 10 years in jail and a fine of Rs 15,000.
"From the above documents [referred in the judgement], which have not been considered in right perspective by trial court, it is clear that the prosecutrix [woman], who had been living alone away from her husband in Delhi, was in live-in relationship with the appellant [man]," the court said, observing that the woman has made "deliberate improvements" on material points in the case.
The woman has alleged that the man raped her on the intervening night of January 13 and 14 in 2011 when she was alone at home grieving after her daughter's death. According to the defendant's lawyer, the woman borrowed Rs 11,000 from the man and when he asked her to return it, she made false allegations against him.
"She admitted having received Rs 11,000 on October 31, 2010 i.e. much prior to the alleged rape incident on the night intervening January 13-14, 2011. Thus, her statement that this amount was paid to her for changing her statement is falsified from the record," Justice Rani said, adding that the woman changed her statement several times during the trial.
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