3 days ago
HC acquits DRDO officer in rape case, citing major lapses in probe
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Hyderabad: The Telangana high court has acquitted an administrative officer at DRDO, Shameerpet, who was previously convicted of rape and criminal intimidation.
A division bench, comprising Justices P Sam Koshy and N Tukaramji, overturned the special sessions court's Sept 2024 verdict, finding the prosecution's case riddled with inconsistencies and lacking credible evidence.
The allegations dated back to Jan 2017, when a minor girl accused the officer—a close friend of her divorced mother—of sexually assaulting her in her mother's absence. Based on her claims, he was convicted under IPC sections 376(2)(f)(n) (rape of a minor by a person in authority) and 506 (criminal intimidation) and sentenced to life imprisonment for impregnating the minor.
However, the high court found the prosecution failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
The foetal sample submitted for forensic analysis was too decomposed for conclusive DNA testing. Further weakening the case, the officer produced a 2005 sterilisation certificate indicating he had undergone a vasectomy—casting serious doubt on his biological ability to father a child.
Medical documentation essential to corroborate the pregnancy and abortion claims, including ultrasound reports and compliance with the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, were notably absent.
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The court also highlighted the victim's contradictory statements about her mother's whereabouts at the time of the alleged incident and the unexplained delay of seven days in filing the FIR.
Criticising the investigation as lackadaisical, the high court bench noted procedural lapses such as failure to examine the doctor who allegedly performed the abortion and poor handling of forensic evidence. The prosecution's reliance on uncorroborated circumstantial evidence, in violation of established legal standards (as per Sharad Birdhi Chand Sarda versus state of Maharashtra), was also condemned.
The bench emphasised that conviction cannot rest solely on the female prosecutor's inconsistent testimony without supporting evidence of 'sterling quality.' The court ordered Sharma's immediate release and called for urgent reforms in investigative procedures, including specialised training, independent supervision, and continuous professional development.
Justice Tukaramji, in a separate note, urged the formation of dedicated investigative teams for sensitive cases and the establishment of independent oversight bodies to ensure transparency, accountability, and public trust in the criminal justice system.
