Man acquitted of charges of kidnapping, raping minor lover

A fast track court has acquitted a man of the charges of kidnapping and raping a minor with whom he was in love and wanted to marry, saying the girl was a consenting party in the whole act.
Additional sessions judge T R Naval, who is presiding the fast track court dealing with cases of sexual offences against women, freed Ghaziabad resident Deepak Singh of the charges.
"It is held that the prosecution could not prove lack of consent of the girl or that the accused abducted her or made physical relations with her without her consent," the court said, adding the girl, instead of supporting the case of prosecution, supported the defence of the accused.

The judge noted that the girl, in her statement before a magistrate, had said she wanted to marry Deepak and she had also requested the court for solemnising their marriage.
"She expressed her firm decision for marrying only the accused," the judge noted and added, "I come to the conclusion that prosecution has failed to prove its case against accused beyond any reasonable suspicion and shadow of doubt."
According to the prosecution, Deepak had kidnapped the girl, who was less than 18 years of age, last July from northeast Delhi and her parents had registered a missing complaint with the police.

The girl returned her home after over one a month and Deepak was then arrested by police for the offences of kidnapping and rape.
She had told the court that she went with Deepak as she fell in love with him and she remained with him for about one and half month.
During the trial, the accused, also said the girl had accompanied him of her own will and she was a consenting party in maintaining sexual relations with him.