MUMBAI: In one of the oldest pending rape cases before the sessions court, 40 years after a now 70-year-old man was accused of raping a 15-year-old girl who later became his wife and mother of his four children, a trial judge acquitted him for lack of evidence.
While the accused remained untraceable for almost four decades, the trial was completed in four dates.The victim, who he later married, also died pending trial. So did two of their four children. The victim’s mother, complainant in the case, also died. The man had “absconded” from 1986 until he was finally nabbed in UP in 2024.
“As the matter is too old, maximum witnesses of the prosecution are either not traceable or expired… There is no iota of evidence on record to connect the accused with this crime. The evidence is not helpful to the prosecution to prove the charges levelled,” the judge said.
The complainant, mother of victim, had lodged a complaint report at D B Marg police station in Nov 1984. She said that her daughter was born in 1969 and studying in an Urdu medium school. The mother said the accused was known to the family. She said the victim left the house claiming that she was going to the toilet. However, she did not return. The mother looked for her but could not find her.
She lodged a missing complaint. During probe, it transpired that the accused had kidnapped the girl and raped her. The accused was charged with kidnap and murder under IPC.
Probe was carried out, statements of witnesses were recorded, evidence were collected and the chargesheet was submitted. Accused had pleaded not guilty.
During cross-examination, the witness said the SI had not recorded statements in his presence.
While the accused remained untraceable for almost four decades, the trial was completed in four dates.The victim, who he later married, also died pending trial. So did two of their four children. The victim’s mother, complainant in the case, also died. The man had “absconded” from 1986 until he was finally nabbed in UP in 2024.
“As the matter is too old, maximum witnesses of the prosecution are either not traceable or expired… There is no iota of evidence on record to connect the accused with this crime. The evidence is not helpful to the prosecution to prove the charges levelled,” the judge said.
The complainant, mother of victim, had lodged a complaint report at D B Marg police station in Nov 1984. She said that her daughter was born in 1969 and studying in an Urdu medium school. The mother said the accused was known to the family. She said the victim left the house claiming that she was going to the toilet. However, she did not return. The mother looked for her but could not find her.
She lodged a missing complaint. During probe, it transpired that the accused had kidnapped the girl and raped her. The accused was charged with kidnap and murder under IPC.
Probe was carried out, statements of witnesses were recorded, evidence were collected and the chargesheet was submitted. Accused had pleaded not guilty.
During cross-examination, the witness said the SI had not recorded statements in his presence.
Source Agencies
