A former student leader of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been acquitted of rape charges by a Delhi court. The accused, Anmol Ratan, who was the Delhi unit president of the All India Students' Association (AISA) at the time of the incident, was facing trial for allegedly raping a fellow student in a university hostel in 2016.
The case was registered at Vasant Kunj police station in 2016 based on the complaint filed by the prosecutrix, who was a research scholar at JNU. According to the prosecution, the incident was reported to have occurred in the hostel room on the intervening night of August 20 and 21, 2016.
Delivering the verdict, Assistant Sessions Judge Pawan Kumar observed that the testimony of the prosecutrix failed to meet the test of sterling quality and reasoning. The court expressed doubts regarding the prosecution's version of events, noting that the prosecutrix did not raise an alarm or seek help from any other resident of the hostel while she was allegedly escaping from the room. The court also highlighted inconsistencies in her statements and contradictory evidence provided by an independent witness, the security guard.
The court raised suspicion over the prosecutrix's failure to explain why she did not raise an alarm immediately and why the accused, as stated by her, left her alone at the gate and returned to his room without any intervention from hostel residents or the police. Moreover, the court pointed out that there was no medical evidence to corroborate her testimony, as no injuries were mentioned in the Medico-Legal Case (MLC) initially.
The judgment highlighted the need for direct or circumstantial evidence to convict the accused and emphasized that the testimonies of witnesses from different backgrounds cannot be assessed on the same yardstick. The court acknowledged the prosecutrix's educational background and activism, which played a role in considering the evidence presented.
Anmol Ratan was acquitted of all charges on July 21, with the court giving him the benefit of doubt. The verdict raises important questions about the quality of evidence in sexual assault cases and highlights the significance of a thorough investigation to ensure justice for all parties involved.
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