Fast track court acquits Panchkula man of rape charge
A fast track special court has acquitted one Johan Singh, 27, a resident of Panchkula district, in a rape case registered two years ago after the prosecution failed to prove the charges.
The court said the prosecution failed to establish that the accused developed sexual relations with prosecutrix on a promise to marry after their divorce.
The police registered the FIR on March 29, 2022, under Sections 376 of the IPC at the Manimajra police station in Chandigarh on the complaint of the victim.
The complainant told the police that she had been acquainted with the accused since 2013. The accused developed physical relations with her on the pretext of marriage. On July 2, 2019, she and Johan obtained protection orders from the Punjab and Haryana High Court and started living together at Dera Bassi, Punjab.
She said the accused had told her that due to their relationship, her sister would not get married. On May 29, 2020, with the consent of each other, they took a divorce. Johan reportedly told her after three years he would marry her. Thereafter, she returned to her parents’ home at Saketri, Haryana. However, they both remained in touch with each other. Johan allegedly developed physical relations with her on the pretext to marry her, but later didn't keep his word.
After hearing the arguments of the counsel for the accused and the public prosecutor, the court acquitted Johan. The court said from oral and documentary evidence on record, prosecution failed to establish that accused developed sexual relations with prosecutrix on promise to marry after their divorce.
The court said the divorce had taken place on May 29, 2020, and the case was registered by the prosecutrix on March 19, 2022. There was no reason for the delay in lodging an FIR. The unexplained delay in the FIR has allowed the concoction to creep in. It is unreasonable that prosecutrix allowed the accused to develop the sexual relations with her for the span of around two years merely on the promise to marry her.
