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High court backs acquittal in spiritual healing case
25 Feb
Summary
- Bombay High Court upheld acquittal in a 2016 spiritual healing rape case.
- Prosecution failed to explain a nearly four-year delay in FIR lodging.
- Evidence was deemed insufficient to establish rape charge by the court.
The Bombay High Court has affirmed the acquittal of Bhanwar Ghusulal Chouhan in a rape case stemming from an alleged "spiritual healing" incident in 2016. The appellate court found the prosecution's case lacking, particularly concerning the unexplained delay of nearly four years in the complainant lodging her First Information Report (FIR).
The high court noted that the complainant admitted to visiting India and Goa multiple times between 2017 and 2019 after the alleged incident, yet filed the FIR only later. The court also observed inconsistencies within the complainant's account and a lack of supporting evidence to corroborate the rape charge.
Consequently, the Bombay High Court saw no reason to overturn the trial court's initial decision, emphasizing that the evidence presented was insufficient to prove the allegations. The state's appeal against the acquittal was therefore dismissed.
