In a significant turn of events, a fast-track court has acquitted Arnish Kumar Pathak, a resident of Punjab, who was facing rape charges. The prosecution failed to substantiate the allegations against him. This case originated from an FIR filed by a woman on March 25, 2019.
The complainant claimed that she had come into contact with the accused through Facebook in 2014, and subsequently, they maintained a cordial relationship. She alleged that the accused had made promises of marriage and engaged in a physical relationship with her. However, as time passed, she asserted that he started to delay their marriage on various pretexts and eventually declined to marry her, citing his existing marital status.
Following the investigation, charges under Sections 376 and 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) were brought before the court. Initially, the accused pleaded not guilty after a prima facie case was established.
Ramandeep Singh and Gaurav Sahota, the legal representatives for the accused, argued vehemently that he had been wrongly accused. They contended that there was no concrete evidence to support the claim of a false promise of marriage. Furthermore, they pointed out that the complainant had lodged her complaint two years after the alleged incident of rape, with no medical reports to corroborate her account.
The public prosecutor, on the other hand, maintained that they had substantiated the case beyond a shadow of a doubt. After considering all arguments presented, the court ultimately acquitted the accused of all charges due to the lack of conclusive evidence regarding the alleged promise of marriage.
