Court relief for sailor branded gay

The sessions court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to a sailor in the merchant navy accused of having a sexual relationship with a businessman by the latter’s wife.

The sessions court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to a sailor in the merchant navy accused of having a sexual relationship with a businessman by the latter’s wife.

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On February 9, Peddar Road resident Rani Gupta had filed a police complaint against her husband Raja (39) and sailor John Austin under Section 377 (voluntary carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal).

While hearing Austin’s anticipatory bail application on Thursday, Special Judge D.U. Mulla observed that there was no need for custody. The judge also observed that the police, in such cases, do not need to collect any material evidence.

The Guptas, who married in 1994, have an eight-year-old son. In her complaint, Rani alleged that her husband was a homosexual and this was affecting their married life. She also claimed that she had taken him to many counsellors, but Raja “continued to have relations with men”.

On February 27, Raja had moved the sessions court seeking anticipatory bail and was granted interim relief till March 7.

In his anticipatory bail application, Raja had denied he was a homosexual.