The Delhi High Court recently stated that in rape or sexual assault cases, while the survivor’s statement is important, it cannot be treated as the final truth without proper examination. The court stressed that trials must be fair, and nobody should be convicted based on unverified allegations.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court, in its ruling, said that the victim’s statement must be from a witness of “sterling quality” and supported by evidence. If the court were to treat every allegation as absolute truth without trial, it would lead to injustice.
This observation came during the hearing of a petition by a woman from Rewari, Haryana, who had filed an FIR on September 19, 2017, accusing her fiancé, an Army employee, of rape. She claimed he raped her near a school on Kosli-Dauroli Road on the same day they got engaged.
According to her, she had refused to have physical relations before marriage, which upset the accused. She alleged he then forced himself on her and threatened her.
However, during the trial, the Additional Sessions Judge found that the prosecution could not prove the man’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The accused was acquitted on May 1, 2019, leading the woman to appeal in the High Court.
The High Court, after reviewing the evidence, noted that the alleged incident took place in a public area, close to a hospital, police station, and a busy road. It found it unlikely that someone would commit such an act in such a location, especially with a person they were engaged to that very day.
The court found no major issues with the trial court’s ruling and said the findings were well-supported. As a result, the woman’s appeal was dismissed, and the man’s acquittal was upheld.
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