MUMBAI – The Panaji bench of the Bombay High Court has acquitted a27-year-old man of rape charges on the grounds that there was a “deep loveaffair” between him and the complainant.
The high court was hearing a petition filed by Yogesh Palkar who hadchallenged his conviction by a lower court.
The lower court had sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment and imposed afine of Rs 10,000, after pronouncing him guilty under Indian Penal Codesection 376 (rape).
The high court judge, Justice CV Bhadang, in his order on February 17,2018, acquitted Palkar in the case.
A 25-year-old woman had alleged that Palkar, who worked as a chef in anoffshore casino, had sexual intercourse with her for the first time inNovember 2013 at his residence at Bambolim near Panaji, after promising tomarry her.
They had intercourse several times after that till December 2013, she hadsaid in her police complaint.
But, in February 2014 he started ignoring her and went back on his promiseof marriage as she belonged to a lower caste, the woman charged.
A special court in Panaji then convicted the man on March 31, 2015.
However, during the trial, the woman also filed an affidavit before thespecial court saying she could not see Palkar behind bars who was thensuffering from depression and undergoing treatment for it.
The woman said, in her affidavit, that she wished to withdraw the complaintdue to personal reasons and emotions.