Man acquitted of raping and cheating woman

The court acquitted Uttarakhand native Sanoj Singh of the charges of raping the 34-year-old woman and intimidating and causing hurt to her by administering poison, saying the prosecution has not been able to prove its case against him.

The court though held the accused guilty of cheating the woman - the mother of three children, two from her first marriage and one from her relation with Singh, it allowed the two to settle the issue and "compounded" the offence.

"Keeping in mind the welfare of the woman and her minor children, statements of the accused and the woman are recorded separately wherein it has been stated that after the release of the accused from jail, a formal marriage ceremony as per Hindu rites shall be performed within a week.

"This being so the offence under section 420 (cheating) of the IPC being compoundable, at the instance of the victim the compounding is permitted," Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau said.

The prosecution had said Singh had raped the woman in November 2011 after making her unconscious by giving her a drink laced with sedatives when she was alone at her house.

But, during the trial, the court found that the accused and the woman were neighbours and had developed friendship. He used to sympathise with her and had eventually developed physical relations with her after promising to marry her, the court noted.

"He then in a Bollywood style to prove his love for her, slashed his chest and filled up her forehead with his blood symbolising his determination, desire and will to accept her as his wife and thereafter made physical relations with her and insisted that she bear his child," it said. (MORE)