New Delhi: A Delhi court has acquitted a man of the charges of raping a married woman for 12 years on the pretext of marriage, observing that the relation between the two were "peaceful and consensual".


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Additional Sessions Judge Virender Bhat said that since the woman had not divorced her husband, there was no occasion for her to get swayed by any promise of marriage from the accused.


"The sexual relations between the two were all throughout peaceful and consensual. They were staying together in a live-in relationship and had no desire to marry each other," the court said while acquitting Arvind Rana, a Bihar resident.


It said, the fact that she did not take any step for obtaining divorce from her husband during the 12 years demonstrate that she had no intention of marrying the accused and was content with only having physical relations with him and getting money from him.


The court observed that it appears that the woman was shocked to hear that Rana has got married, and in a fit of rage had lodged the complaint against him.


It said that from the testimony of the woman it was clear that she was staying with Rana voluntarily and was having sexual relations with him willingly as she loved him.


According to prosecution, Rana has established physical relation with the woman for 12 years on the pretext of marriage.


The woman, in her complaint before the police, has also alleged that she suffered miscarriage three times in the 12 years of their relationship.


During the trial, Rana had admitted that he was living with the woman for past five-six years and was having physical relation with her.


Rana had claimed that he was falsely implicated in the case as the woman had apprehension that he would stop giving her money after getting married.