Delhi: Court acquits man of charges of voyeurism, using criminal force on woman

A court here has acquitted a man of the charges of voyeurism and assaulting a woman with an intent to disrobe her observing that the case appeared to be based on a premeditated complaint without any element of truthThe court was hearing a case against Babu Sahab Rai who was accused of assaulting the complainant with the intention of disrobing her besides capturing her images while she was bathing between July 2012 and November 11 2016According to the complainant Rai had also insulted her modestyIt can conclusively be held that the complainant has failed to prove the case against the accused beyond reasonable doubt and therefore the accused is acquitted of the offences under sections 354B assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe her 354C voyeurism and 509 word gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman of the Indian Penal Code IPC Metropolitan Magistrate Alka Singh said in a recent orderThe court said the complainant had alleged that Rai had assaulted her and beaten her up on several occasions but no medical records were submitted as evidenceApart from the husband of the complainant no other witness was examined by the prosecution the court saidFurther it said there was nothing on record to substantiate the allegation that Rai took pictures of the complainant while she was bathing and the claims were merely empty and hollow oral imputationsAlso Read Aurangabad 22 booked for pelting stones at minister Abdul Sattars residenceNoting that no such photographs were retrieved by police the court said in the absence of evidence it would be highly unjustifiable to hold the accused liable for the alleged act of voyeurismIt also said the complainants role in the entire sequence of events appeared to be dubiousWhat is more bizarre here is the fact that the complainant admitted to having written letters to the accused although claiming it to be under pressure but such an averment appears to be a pretenceand a volitional act the court saidNoting that the complainant had first alleged that she was raped by Rai and later said the accused on various occasions attempted to rape her the court said her version was contradictoryThus she herself was not consistent and forthright in her asseverationsand if it was indeed a case of rape then again no charges for the said offence were pressed against the accused at the time the magistrate saidShe said even when charges were framed against the accused the complainant did not prefer an appealThus all in all the present case appears to be a premeditated complaint without any element of truth in it and therefore the same cannot be made a basis for convicting the accused or holding him liable in any respect the court saidThe Uttam Nagar police station here had registered an FIR against Rai on the basis of the complainants statementThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever