After 27 yrs, SC clears man of rape charges

The man was convicted for raping a woman, who is now his wife and mother of their four children

- Utkarsh Anand

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has set aside the conviction of a man who underwent a 27-year-long legal ordeal for allegedly kidnapping and raping a woman — who is now his wife of 21 years and the mother of their four children — noting that continuing to uphold his conviction would cause greater injustice, given the peculiar circumstances of the case.

"Bearing in mind the fact that in this case, the appellant-accused has subsequently married the second respondent-prosecutrix and they have four children out of their wedlock, we find that the peculiar facts and circumstances of this case would persuade us to exercise our jurisdiction and powers under Article 142 of the Constitution of India," held a bench of justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma.

Article 142 which allows it to pass orders necessary to do "complete justice" in a case. The court noted that quashing the conviction was the only fair outcome in light of the couple's two-decade-long marriage and the ground reality of their relationship.