Delhi court grants anticipatory bail to rape accused, notes offence not reported 'in time'

New Delhi: Court here has granted anticipatory bail to a man accused of raping a divorced woman on the pretext of marriage, noting that the woman was not prompt in reporting the alleged offence and that the accused’s custodial interrogation was not required.

Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh was hearing the bail plea of the accused, against whom Sarita Vihar police station had registered an FIR under the penal provisions of rape, criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt.

According to the prosecution, the accused raped the 32-year-old woman, a domestic cook, with a child from her previous marriage, in his office in Jasola Vihar in 2016 and also shot some objectionable video clips. Thereafter, he repeatedly raped her after threatening to make the clips viral.

It said that the accused also had been establishing physical relations with the victim after falsely promising to marry her.

In its order dated January 8, the court said, "The complainant approached police for the first time in 2024 for the offence allegedly committed in 2016. The period of eight years is too long to seriously wait for the accused to act upon his alleged promise to marry the complainant." It said that the complainant’s relatives also lived in the national capital and nothing "incapacitated" her from reporting the alleged offence "in time" to the police or her relatives.

"It does not seem to be a case where the arrest or custodial interrogation is required and the accused is ready and willing to join the investigation," the court said.

It granted him the relief subject to furnishing a personal bond and surety bond of Rs 25,000 each and on the conditions that he would cooperate in the investigation and not contact the complainant.