The Delhi High Court today granted bail to an 18-year-old engineering student, accused of raping a minor by befriending her on WhatsApp and then taking her to a park, where he allegedly committed the crime.
Justice A K Pathak granted him the relief subject to furnishing a personal bond of Rs 25,000 with one surety of a like amount.
The court also directed the student not to contact the girl or her family members or influence any witness in the case.
As per the prosecution, the boy first came in touch with the 14-and-a-half year old girl through a social networking site in December last year and on December 29, 2017 took her to a park here and allegedly raped her.
The accused's lawyer, Vijay Kumar Aggarwal, opposed the charges and contended that while the alleged incident was of December 29, 2017, the FIR was lodged a day later.
He said the girl was medically examined only on January 1, 2018.
"Even in the statement, the prosecutrix has not levelled any allegations of rape or oral sex. In FIR, the girl has simply stated that the petitioner has been conversing with her on WhatsApp and Instagram. She has improved her version at the behest of her father," Aggarwal submitted.
Additional Public Prosecutor M P Singh, appearing for the Delhi Police, contended that the girl, a minor, was studying in class nine, whereas the accused is 18-years-old and is pursuing B Tech from Manipal University in Jaipur.
"The accused had allured her to a park and raped her," the counsel for the police argued, adding that the girl was nervous when she returned home on the date of incident and had not disclosed the rape incident to her mother or in the complaint made to the police.
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