Latest news with #PankajPurohit
NDTV
31-07-2025
- NDTV
"Consensual": Court Cancels Rape Case Against 20-Year-Old Filed By Mother Of One
Nainital: The Uttarakhand High Court has quashed a rape case slapped against a man below marriageable age by an older married woman whom he had been in a relationship with. Justice Pankaj Purohit dismissed criminal proceedings against the underage man on the ground that it was a "consensual relationship". The woman, who is also a mother, had charged him with rape under the promise of marriage and issuing threats of uploading her videos on the social media. On the basis of her complaint, the man was charge-sheeted and served a summoning order by Kashipur Judicial Magistrate's court under Indian Penal Code Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) in 2022. The judge questioned how a mature 28-year-old married woman, who also had a seven-year-old son, could engage in physical relations with a 20-year-old man on the basis of a marriage promise. He also questioned the legal validity of such a promise, as the man was below marriageable age at the time. "It was a consensual relationship that deteriorated rather than a case of false promise," the high court observed. It also said that the accused was not of legally marriageable age while the complainant was already married and was well aware of the marriage and even had a child from it. Further observing that the proposal of marriage from the accused was not probable due to the marital status of the complainant, the High Court quashed the complaint and the chargesheet against the man and dismissed the criminal proceedings against him.
News18
31-07-2025
- News18
High court quashes rape charges against underage man by older, married woman
Nainital, Jul 31 (PTI) The Uttarakhand High Court has quashed a rape case slapped against a man below marriageable age by an older married woman whom he had been in a relationship with. Justice Pankaj Purohit dismissed criminal proceedings against the underage man on the ground that it was a 'consensual relationship". The woman, who is also a mother, had charged him with rape under the promise of marriage and issuing threats of uploading her videos on the social media. On the basis of her complaint, the man was charge-sheeted and served a summoning order by Kashipur Judicial Magistrate's court under Indian Penal Code Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) in 2022. The judge questioned how a mature 28-year-old married woman, who also had a seven-year-old son, could engage in physical relations with a 20-year-old man on the basis of a marriage promise. He also questioned the legal validity of such a promise, as the man was below marriageable age at the time. 'It was a consensual relationship that deteriorated rather than a case of false promise," the high court observed. It also said that the accused was not of legally marriageable age while the complainant was already married and was well aware of the marriage and even had a child from it. Further observing that the proposal of marriage from the accused was not probable due to the marital status of the complainant, the High Court quashed the complaint and the chargesheet against the man and dismissed the criminal proceedings against him. PTI COR ALM ALM RUK RUK view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
14-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
U'khand HC acquits man convicted by lower court in 1993 dowry death case
Nainital, The Uttarakhand High Court has acquitted a man who was convicted by a lower court 32 years old dowry death case. In a judgement passed on Friday, the single bench of Justice Pankaj Purohit of the High Court absolved Ram Kumar Gupta of the charges levelled against him under the Dowry Prohibition Act citing serious illegalities and irregularities in his conviction by the trial court. The trial court convicted the accused in the dowry death case of his wife on the basis of hearsay and photostat copies of alleged letters written by her, treating them as valid evidence, the court said. Photocopies in the absence of originals have no legal validity, it said. Gupta, a resident of Chamoli district, was booked under the dowry prohibition act after his wife's death in 1993. In 2007, his trial was concluded and he was convicted by the Chamoli District Court for the dowry death of his wife. Gupta had been sentenced by the trial court to two and a half years of imprisonment in the case. He challenged the lower court's verdict in the high court claiming that he had good relationship with his wife and had made no dowry demands. His brother also confirmed this in his testimony. Gupta had informed his wife's family about her accidental death. She had succumbed to injuries after getting burnt accidentally while cooking. Her last rites were performed with her family's consent, Gupta said in his petition. However, later her family levelled dowry harassment charges against him, even though the investigating officer confirmed that the case had been received after a delay of one and a half years. It was argued on behalf of the petitioner that a delayed FIR in the case made the harassment complaint seem suspicious. Further the deceased had made a dying declaration to the SDM, stating that she had burnt herself while cooking and her husband was not to blame for it. After the hearing, the High Court set aside the Chamoli court's decision and acquitted Gupta of all charges under the Dowry Prohibition Act.
