IAF officer gets anticipatory bail in rape case

A flying officer of Indian Air Force has been granted anticipatory bail in a rape case lodged by his ex-lover, with a Delhi court saying there was no apprehension that he will hamper the investigation as he was not posted in the national capital.
Additional Sessions Judge Shail Jain gave the relief to the defence officer after noting that there was no allegation that he had ever threatened or forced the woman to establish physical relations with him.
"Even during the arguments before the court, prosecutrix had admitted that she considered the accused to be her husband and only thereafter the relationship was established between them.

"Considering the fact that applicant-accused is a Flying Officer (Indian Air Force) working at Air Force Pune, there are no chances of his evading the process of law or interfering in the administration of justice or to threaten the witnesses as he is not posted in Delhi," the court said.
The judge said it was a fit case for admitting the man to anticipatory bail and granted the relief on furnishing of a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of like amount.
The prosecution opposed the bail plea saying the man established physical relations with the woman from September 2013 to January 2016 by giving a false impression that she was married to him.

Advocate Pradeep Rana, who appeared for the man, sought anticipatory bail for the officer on the ground that the relationship between the parties continued for nearly three years during which they stayed in different hotels.

He argued that it was nowhere mentioned in the FIR, registered at Tilak Nagar Police Station in west Delhi, that the man established physical relations with the woman by forcing or pressurising her.
The counsel said the accused was a flying officer in IAF and there were no chances of his absconding or tampering with the evidence.
The prosecution said the man and the woman met through social networking website and fell in love, but when their families got to know that they belonged to same village and community, they refused to accept their marriage.

The man claimed they had mutually decided to end their relationship but when the woman came to know that the man's parents were looking for a matrimonial match for him, she could not accept it and lodged an FIR with the police.