After 14 years of legal proceedings, a man accused in a rape case has been acquitted by a fast-track special court. The acquittal came because the only witness who appeared in court was a police constable who had no direct knowledge of the case.
Head constable Ganpatbhai Solanki from Naroda police station testified that he had been posted at the station only for one and a half years after the complaint was filed. He could only confirm the police seal on the documents and identify that the investigation was carried out by Inspector M.K. Patel.
No other key witnesses, including the complainant, came forward to testify during the trial. Even the accused was absent from court, and a legal aid counsel was appointed to represent him.
The case began in February 2011, when the complainant filed an FIR at Naroda police station, alleging that the accused had a sexual relationship with her in 2007 under the false promise of marriage. The police investigated, recorded statements, and filed a chargesheet for rape, assault, cheating, and breach of trust. However, the trial reached the sessions court only after 12 years.
When the trial finally began, the prosecution failed to present material witnesses to support the chargesheet. The court observed that the lone police witness’s testimony did not add value to the case and seemed more like a “balancing act.”
Judge Madhur Mehta of the fast-track special court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt. Granting the benefit of the doubt, the court acquitted the accused.
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