PANAJI: The North Goa Special Fast-Track Court has acquitted a 19-year-old man who was facing charges of rape and criminal intimidation in connection with a case registered in 2020, after the complainant did not support the prosecution’s case during the trial.
The case was registered at Ponda Police Station in July 2020. According to the prosecution, the accused had allegedly taken the complainant to a hotel room in Ponda and other secluded locations on several occasions between October 31, 2019, and March 16, 2020, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her against her will.
The prosecution had also alleged that the accused took nude photographs of the complainant and subsequently used them to pressure her into meeting him. He was further accused of allegedly threatening to kill her father.
The accused was arrested on July 19, 2020, and was later granted bail in September of the same year. The court framed charges against him in March 2021.
During the trial, the prosecution examined seven witnesses, including medical experts, panch witnesses and the investigating officer.
The prosecution’s case was affected when the complainant appeared before the court and stated that she did not wish to give evidence against the accused. She also told the court that she had voluntarily moved an application seeking to compound the matter.
The complainant stated that her decision was made voluntarily and was not due to any pressure, coercion, force or financial settlement.
As she did not support the allegations made in the original complaint during her testimony, her earlier statements were brought on record as contradictions.
After considering the evidence, the court held that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges against the accused to the required standard of proof and acquitted him.
The court observed that the complainant’s testimony was central to establishing the alleged non-consensual acts. However, during the trial, she did not support the prosecution’s allegations.
