Bombay HC lets off retired lecturer in case of raping minor house help

The retired lecturer from Amravati had been booked by local police in November 2008 after his 17-year-old pregnant house help told her mother that her pregnancy was the result of the accused’s repeated sexual assaults.

The Bombay high court (HC) recently let off a 76-year-old retired lecturer from the charge of raping and impregnating his minor house help after he produced a medical certificate indicating he had undergone a vasectomy long ago and was incapable of impregnating a woman. He also told the HC that a civil surgeon had examined his semen in 2009 and it had been found that the accused was incapable of impregnating any woman.

The Bombay High Court (HT Photo)

The retired lecturer from Amravati had been booked by local police in November 2008. They had registered the offence after the mother of the accused’s maidservant noticed her pregnancy and took her to the house of the lecturer. The maidservant, who was then 17 years old, told her mother that her pregnancy was the result of the accused’s repeated sexual assaults.

After completing probe in the case, police had filed a charge sheet against the accused. He approached the HC after the trial court on May 7, 2012 refused to discharge him from the case.

The accused pointed out to the HC that on his request, in March 2009, the investigation officer had sent a requisition to the civil surgeon, Amravati, with a specific query. After examining the semen of the accused, the surgeon gave his opinion that there was no active sperm in the semen and therefore the retired lecturer was incapable of impregnating any woman.

Relying on the civil surgeon’s opinion, justice MG Giratkar concluded it was obvious the pregnancy of the rape survivor could not have been caused by the accused, who was 65 at the time of the incident.