Court frames charges against JNU rape case accused

A local court on Monday framed charges against Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Anmol Ratan, who allegedly raped a 28-year-old Ph.D student.

Additional Sessions Judge Devendra Kumar Sharma framed rape and criminal intimidation charges against accused Ratan.

"It is clear that there was threat given by the accused, causing alarm to the prosecutrix (victim) that the accused would kill any person who would come in his way and that he had beaten a lot of persons earlier also," the court observed.

"Therefore," it further said, "this court is of the opinion that this statement in the complaint itself is sufficient to make a prima facie case for the offence punishable under Section 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for criminal intimidation."

"Further, from the statement of the prosecutrix and other materials available on record, there is sufficient grounds to frame charges against the accused for the offences under section 376 (rape)/ 506 of IPC," the court said.

After the accused pleaded not guilty, the court fixed November 7 for recording the statement of the complainant as well as the admission and denial of documents of the case.

Ratan, who is in judicial custody, had surrendered himself before police on August 24. Ratan had allegedly raped the girl after luring her to his hostel room on the pretext of giving her the copy of a movie she wanted and then giving her a drink spiked with a sedative.

An activist of the All India Student Association (AISA), Ratan was expelled from the leftist student outfit after the incident.

--IANS

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