A Delhi court has acquitted a man of the charges of kidnapping and raping a girl after she stated that she had willingly married him.
Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav let off the man, a Madhya Pradesh resident, after the girl deposed that she was involved in a relationship with the accused, who was her neighbour, and they were now happily married.
"In view of the material on record, it appears that the prosecutrix (girl) was willing and consenting party and it seems that everything had happened with her sweet will," the court said, while acquitting the man of offences under sections 363(kidnapping), 366 (abducting woman to compel her for marriage) and 376 (rape) of IPC and under section 6 (sexual assault) of POCSO Act.
According to the prosecution, on March 27, 2014, the girl's father had lodged a complaint alleging that his minor daughter was missing since five days.
The girl was found in Madhya Pradesh four months later with the accused, who was arrested.
After completion of the probe, charges under various sections of IPC and Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) were framed against him.
However, the girl's father accepted before the court that his daughter had willingly married the accused and was an 18-year-old adult.
During the trial, the accused claimed he was innocent and had been falsely implicated in the case as girl's parents were against their marriage.
He further stated that at the time of their marriage, the girl was a major and presently they are living happily.
