Court acquits rape accused

A court in New Delhi has acquitted a 32-year-old man charged with raping a woman after kidnapping her for a forced marriage, after noting that the victim was a consenting party in the case.

While acquitting Dhirender Singh, Additional Sessions Judge Bharat Parashar said "From the perusal of the record, it was reflected that the 19-year-old had accompanied the accused on her own will and played an active role by helping the accused as a consenting party."

“It would not be safe to rely upon the uncorroborated deposition of the (woman) in order to conclude that the alleged act of rape if committed by the accused with her was against her wishes or that he had induced her way from the custody of her lawful guardian," the ASJ noted.

The court had acquitted Singh, a resident of Nangloi, of the offences under sections 376 (rape), 363 (Kidnapping) and 366 (kidnapping a woman to compel her for marriage) of the IPC.

"I have no hesitation to conclude that the prosecution has failed to prove the offence committed by the accused Singh and, therefore, he is ordered to be acquitted of all the charges," the ASJ said in a recent order.