Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 1: The Fast Track Court, presided over by Amarjeet Singh Langeh today acquitted an accused in a 2017 case involving charges of kidnapping and rape in the matter titled UT of J&K through SHO Police Station Jhajjar Kotli vs Uttam Kumar.
As per the prosecution, the accused had allegedly taken the prosecutrix on June 10, 2017, from Jandrah to Samba in a bus and kept her in confinement for nearly three months.
It was further alleged that he later shifted her to Udhampur, from where she was eventually recovered by the police.
During the trial, the accused faced charges of kidnapping, wrongful confinement and repeated sexual assault.
The prosecution examined 11 witnesses in an attempt to substantiate the allegations.
However, the court found significant inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case.
Describing the prosecutrix’s version as “weird” and akin to a “cock and bull story,” the court observed that it was highly improbable that a girl could be forcibly taken onto a bus from a public place without drawing attention, especially when other passengers were present.
The court also noted that the prosecutrix did not disclose her alleged captivity to anyone, even when she was taken to a court complex in Samba for preparation of marriage documents.
Additionally, the prosecution failed to examine the owner of the rented accommodation where the prosecutrix was allegedly confined, which the court termed a crucial missing link in the chain of evidence.
Medical evidence did not support the prosecution’s claims, further weakening the case.
The court also took note of an unexplained delay of five days in lodging the FIR and pointed out serious lapses in the investigation, including the failure to send collected samples for forensic examination.
In its observations, the court stated that the prosecutrix appeared to have left her parental home without any inducement from the accused and that the incident did not occur in the manner alleged by the prosecution.
Citing these deficiencies and gaps in evidence, the court dismissed the challan and acquitted the accused of all charges.
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