Man Acquitted After 12 Years in Jail on Rape Charge

A 35-year-old man has been acquitted of gang-rape charges after spending 12 years incarcerated. The special Pocso court based its decision on a doctor's testimony and a significant delay in the initial police report. The court questioned the victim's stated age, noting a discrepancy between the prosecution's FIR date and a medical report. Medical findings also failed to corroborate the prosecution's assertions of repeated penetrative assault. The examining doctor testified that a ruptured hymen, cited as evidence, could result from non-sexual activities and could not be definitively linked to the alleged acts. The judge emphasized that hymen rupture alone is insufficient evidence for sexual intercourse, especially without other supporting injuries or forensic links. Furthermore, the court noted a two-day unexplained delay in filing the FIR, suggesting it might have been an afterthought. The victim's mother's admission that neighbors advised her to file the complaint also raised concerns about the report's spontaneity. Consequently, the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused, along with co-accused, committed rape on the victim before November 2, 2014.