Court acquits rape accused, says couple had eloped

 A 21-year-old youth, accused of kidnapping and raping a minor girl, has been freed by a Delhi court on the ground that she had “willingly” eloped with him.

“From the testimony of prosecution witnesses (girl and her mother), it stands proved that the girl was more than 16 years of age and she went willingly with the accused,” Additional Sessions Judge Madhu Jain said.

Career at stake

The court said if the accused is sent to judicial custody his whole life and career will be ruined.

The judge absolved Delhi resident Mohammad Mujibur Rehman of the charges of raping the girl, but held him guilty of kidnapping.

The court said he removed the girl out of the custody of her legal guardians and sentenced him to nine months in jail — already undergone by him during the trial of the case.

Rehman was arrested by police in October 2011 on girl’s mother’s complaint, which alleged that he had kidnapped her daughter and raped her.

The girl, who belonged to a different religion, said she had willingly gone with Rehman.

The judge said the girl had not said anything against the accused.

“She said she was having a love affair with the accused. She wanted to marry him but he was reluctant due to difference in their religions and also she being a minor,” the court said.