The Allahabad High Court recently acquitted a man who had been accused of raping and murdering a 100-year-old woman. The court found that the allegations may have been fabricated, potentially to claim government compensation, given the victim’s Scheduled Caste background.
The case was initially reported by the victim’s grandson, who is a member of the Scheduled Caste community. He stated that on October 29, 2017, his grandmother was resting outside the house while he and his wife were inside. Around 11:30 pm, they heard her crying. When they went outside, they allegedly saw the accused, intoxicated, on top of the grandmother, attempting to sexually assault her.
The grandson tried to catch the accused, but he fled. The family then took the grandmother to the hospital. An FIR was filed shortly after midnight under Sections 458 and 376 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3(2)(5) of the SC/ST Act. Although the woman was medically examined, she died a few hours later, and the charges were escalated to include murder under Sections 458, 376, 302, and 506 of the IPC.
In November 2020, a trial court found the accused guilty of rape and murder, sentencing him to life imprisonment and seven years of rigorous imprisonment, respectively. However, during the appeal, the defense argued that the accused had been falsely implicated. They claimed that the informant, the victim’s grandson, owed the accused Rs 1 lakh and fabricated the charges to avoid repaying the loan and to gain compensation from the government.
The defense highlighted that there was no physical evidence, such as the accused’s clothes, at the crime scene, despite witnesses claiming he fled naked. Additionally, there were no injuries found on the victim’s genitals, and the medical report cited septicemia shock as the cause of death, not murder.
The high court also noted that no caste-based crimes were committed, rendering the SC/ST charges unfounded. Given these findings, the court concluded that the allegations were likely fabricated to secure government compensation. As a result, the division bench acquitted the accused of all charges and ordered his release.
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