HC grants six-week bail to rape accused to marry victim

Uttarakhand High Court granted short-term bail to a rape accused to marry the victim girl. It is alleged that the victim girl has a baby with the accused.

Nainital:The Uttarakhand High Court granted a short-term bail of six weeks to a 24-year-old man to marry a minor, who had accused him of rape. It is alleged that the victim girl has a baby with the rape accused. The victim girl was raped when she was 15 years old. She gave birth to a baby in September 2021. The official record shows that she is 17 now, while the victim's family said that she is above 18 years old and they want her to get married to the accused, a resident of Champawat in Uttarakhand.

While granting bail, the court said that the marriage certificate should be produced after the duration of the bail is over and also directed the accused to surrender before the jail authorities once the bail period ends. In its order on January 25, the High Court said, "There are certain situations, which are irreversible in nature, especially when the victim has already given birth to a baby".

Earlier, an FIR was registered against the accused in Reetha Sahib police station of Champawat district in 2021 under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and POCSO Act. He was in jail since his arrest on September 13, 2021. The accused had filed a petition before the Champawat District Judge seeking his release on a "short-term basis to marry the victim" and claimed that their marriage was arranged with the "consent of their families".The girl also told the court that "there was no coercion and they had a physical relationship in January 2021 with mutual consent". The district court, however, rejected the bail plea and the accused later filed an appeal before the High Court.