84-yr-old rape accused gets bail after DNA test

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 24

The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to an octogenarian man accused of raping a minor after a DNA test proved that he was not the biological father of the child born to the victim last month.

A Bench led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, which ordered the release of the 84-year-old man, said he was free to seek compensation for being falsely implicated in a rape case.

The accused has been charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly raping the minor. He has challenged a Calcutta High Court order rejecting his bail plea.

He had submitted that he was willing to get a DNA test done to prove that he was not responsible for the pregnancy in question. The accused alleged that it was a false case foisted on him by the complainant, who was his tenant, as there was a dispute between them over non-payment of rent.