Court acquits man of rape charge

A Delhi court has acquitted a man in a rape case after observing that "the victim was a consenting party to the sexual intercourse with the accused".

Additional Sessions Judge Virender Bhat acquitted Sunil Kumar, accused of rape and criminal intimidation on April 9. Copies of the verdict were made available only on Tuesday.

"The result of the discussion is that the prosecutrix (victim) was a consenting party to the sexual intercourse with the accused," he said.

As per the prosecution, the woman accused Kumar of kidnapping her on June 5, 2014 after promising marriage and then 'raping' her for nine days.

Later, Kumar and his parents threatened her that if she reported the matter to the police they would kill her, the prosecution said.

A case was registered against Kumar in Baba Haridas Nagar police station in west Delhi on June 15, 2014.

During the trial, the woman admitted that she had eloped with Kumar and told court they got married on August 20, 2014.

"The prosecutrix (victim) eloped with the accused voluntarily on June 5, 2014, indulged in sexual intercourse with him willingly as she loved him and stayed with him till June 14, 2014 as per her own wish," the court said in an order delivered on April 9.

The court also observed that the victim and the accused are a married couple and are staying together happily.