Advocate acquitted in rape cases in Delhi

New Delhi: An advocate accused of raping two women on the pretext of marrying them has been acquitted by a Delhi court after both women resiled from their statements and denied being raped.

Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna also said the advocate was entitled to get benefit of doubt since nothing incriminating had surfaced against him during trial. "Since, prosecutrixes have completely resiled from their earlier statements given to police and had denied the incident of rape by the accused or that accused ever indulged in sexual intercourse with them on any false promise of marriage...," the judge said. The police said the advocate, who represented one of the women in her matrimonial disputes with her first husband, established sexual relations with her in 2011 on the pretext of marriage. They further stated that in September 2013 when the woman, a chartered accountant, reached the lawyer`s house, she found another woman in his room. On enquiry, the other woman, who was allegedly his colleague at a law firm, revealed that she was in a physical relation with him from past four years, the police had said. After the two felt that they have been cheated and raped by the advocate on false promise of marriage, they decided to file criminal case, police said. Two separate rape cases had been lodged against the advocate. The women, however, changed their statements during the trial and denied of being raped by the advocate. "... They filed the complaint due to some misunderstanding, hence, considering the facts and circumstances of the case, wherein prosecutrix has turned hostile and had not supported the case of the prosecution, rather had denied the contents of her complaint... The accused becomes entitle to get benefit of doubt," the judge observed.