'State's future assets': HC grants bail to IIT-Guwahati student accused of rape

Gauhati High Court granted bail to a student of IIT Guwahati recently, who was accused of raping his classmate and stated that both the victim and the accused were "talented students" and the "state's future assets."

In his order on August 13, Justice Ajit Borthakur, however, said there was a "clear prima facie case alleged against the accused petitioner."

“However, as the investigation in the case is completed, and both the informant/victim girl and the accused are the state’s future assets, being talented students pursuing technical courses at the IIT, Guwahati, who are young in the age group of 19 to 21 years only, and further, they are being hailed from two different states, continuation of detention of the accused in the interest of trial of the case, if charges are framed, may not be necessary,” said the court order.

"A perusal of the list of witnesses too, cited in the chargesheet, this Court finds no possibility of the accused tampering with their evidence or influencing them directly or indirectly, if released on bail," it added.

Accordingly, the high court granted bail to the accused for Rs 30,000 bond along with two sureties.

The court also said, "It is pertinent to be mentioned that it is judicially well settled that while dealing with a bail application, the Court is not called upon to discuss the merits or demerits of the evidence available against the accused.

"...but some reasons for prima facie concluding while bail is being granted need to be indicated in brief."

The accused, a BTech student, was arrested in March after an FIR was lodged accusing him of rape.

The FIR alleged that at around 9pm on February 28, the accused lured the victim girl to a school premises in the pretext of discussing about her responsibility as the joint secretary of the finance and economic club of the students of the IIT Guwahati. She was made unconscious by forcibly administering alcohol. She regained her consciousness at 5am next morning following which she was admitted in Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, it said.

The judge said that he had given “anxious considerations” to the submissions made by lawyers of both sides, with reference to the relevant documents such as “FIR, medical report and statements under Sections 161 and 164 CrPC, the contents of the chargesheet, the Fact Finding Committee Report etc.”

With PTI inputs