Chandigarh: Two years on, youth walks free in rape case

Chandigarh, September 21

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Swati Sehgal, Judge, Fast Track Special Court, has acquitted a 21-year-old youth in a rape case registered on the complaint of a minor girl around two years ago.

The court acquitted the accused after the DNA report proved that he was not the biological father of the child.

On the complaint of the minor girl, the police had registered the FIR against the accused under Sections 376(2) (N) and 506 of the IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act in 2020. The victim was admitted to the General Hospital, Sector 16, Chandigarh, with approximately eight-month pregnancy. After finding the girl minor, doctors informed the police about the incident.

In the statement to the police, the girl named the accused and said he raped her several times. She alleged that the accused also threatened her not to disclose the incident to anyone. The accused threatened to kill her if she revealed the incident to anyone.

After investigation, the police filed a challan against the accused. The court framed the charges to which the accused pleaded not guilty and claimed trial. The public prosecutor claimed that the prosecution proved the case beyond the shadow of doubt.

Sandeep Gahlawat, counsel for the accused, argued that he was falsely implicated in the case. He argued that the DNA report confirmed that he was not the biological father of the child. The report trashed the prosecution theory.

He said considering the evidence brought on record, the prosecution failed to prove that the accused committed sexual assault on the victim, which resulted in her pregnancy. He said the victim’s statement was also not reliable as she named some other person after the DNA report came in the favour of the accused.

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