Delhi rape accused let off, woman says he's innocent

A court here has let off a man, facing a trial on charges of raping a widow, after the complainant said he was innocent and should be freed.

Additional Sessions Judge Nivedita Anil Sharma let off Delhi-resident Mahinder Singh Dahiya after the woman prayed before the court that the accused must be acquitted. The order was delivered last week but it was released to the media Tuesday.

"She (victim) also admitted that the accused is innocent," the court observed.

"The woman has not deposed an iota of evidence of her being raped at all. She has not even mentioned the word 'rape' in her evidence nor has she deposed anything incriminating against Mahinder Singh Dahiya," the court noted.

According to the police, Dahiya allegedly raped the woman between August 2012 and December last year and also took her obscene pictures after giving her tea laced with a drug, which left her unconscious.

However, the woman told the court she knows the accused for the last five-six years and he used to help her financially.

The woman added she lodged the case against Dahiya on the instruction of a lawyer, whom she met in Delhi.