Meghalaya HC dismisses review petition of rape-accused

The Meghalaya High Court today dismissed a review petition filed by a rape-accused Mi Phawa who was denied bail by a lower court in Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills district earlier this year, officials said.
"This criminal petition (revision) is dismissed summarily without expressing any opinion as to the final merits of the case, pending before the trial court," Chief Justice P C Pant said in his order.
The district court had in its hearing on February 6, denied bail to Phawa and directed the police to frame charges against him under Section 376 of the IPC.
Not convinced, Phawa filed a review petition in the High Court.

Phawa had allegedly kidnapped the victim while she was returning from a market in Jowai.
She was taken to a lonely place where she was tied to a tree and raped in July last year, the police said.