Solapur rape victim marries accused

After a woman married the man who had allegedly raped her, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday quashed the rape complaint the woman had earlier filed. HT Correspondent reports.

After a woman married the man who had allegedly raped her, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday quashed the rape complaint the woman had earlier filed.

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Reena (name changed), a former constable, had filed a first information report (FIR) in Solapur on June 6, 2008, alleging that Suyog alias Bunty Rathod had raped her repeatedly over few years. Last time he raped her was on May 5, 2008, she had alleged.

On Tuesday, however, Reena’s lawyer V Purvant informed the court that the two are married and Reena is pregnant.
Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari quashed Reena’s complaint observing that there was no logic in continuing the case. “The complaint is quashed without setting precedent for any other case,” Justice Dharmadhikari said.

Reena had in 2009 written to the commissioner of police stating that she did not wish to pursue the case.
She also filed an affidavit in the high court, stating that she and Rathod were in love.

Her affidavit stated that she filed an FIR against Rathod due to a misunderstanding and that they had decided to get married. She pleaded that the complaint should be quashed.

Women’s rights lawyer Veena Gowda said cases of victims marrying the rapists were “disturbing”.

“There is a notion in society that sexual encounters, be it forced or voluntary, can be resolved only by the institution of marriage,” said Gowda.

“A girl can’t come out and say she is in physical relationship with a man. Equally, she cannot say she is raped. And marriage is seen as the only solution, which is questionable.”