AGRA: A single-judge bench of Allahabad high court granted bail to a 26-year-old man accused of rape, exploitation and sharing photos of the survivor online on the conditions that “he will marry the woman, 23, within three months after coming out on bail and shall not tamper with evidence.”
While delivering the verdict on February 20 (a copy of which was available on Monday), Justice Krishan Pahal observed: “A person’s right to life and liberty, guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution, cannot be taken away merely because the person is accused of committing an offence until the guilt is established beyond reasonable doubt.”
As per the case details, the 26-year-old man, who hailed from Rajasthan’s Sikar district, used to attend coaching classes last year at a centre where the survivor also went. He was preparing for police recruitment exams.
In the police complaint filed in May 2024, the woman’s family stated that their daughter had been sexually assaulted repeatedly since February that year. An FIR was subsequently registered against the accused under IPC sections 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) and the IT Act. The accused was arrested on Sept 21 and sent to jail.
On October 3, 2024, Agra sessions court judge Vivek Sangal rejected his bail plea, whereupon the accused approached the high court.
During the proceedings in the HC, the prosecution claimed that the applicant had established physical relations with the woman on the pretext of securing her a job in the UP police department. He also raped her and “extorted Rs 9 lakh from her” by threatening to make public their “intimate videos”.