Man accused of raping minor granted bail after he promises to marry her, take care of newborn child in UP

Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to a man accused of raping a girl on the pretext of marriage and impregnating her, with the condition that after release, he has to marry the teenager and take care of their newborn baby.

Justice Krishan Pahal, while passing the order, also directed the accused to pay Rs 2 lakh for a fixed deposit to be opened in the name of the newborn child.

The applicant Abhishek is being released on bail on the assurance of his counsel that "he shall marry the victim within three months from his release from jail and take care of her as well as the newborn baby", Justice Pahal said.

"The applicant shall deposit a sum of Rs 2,00,000 in the name of new born baby of the victim till her attaining the age of majority within a period of six months from the date of release from jail," the court said, imposing the condition.

The man allegedly deceived the girl, aged about 15 years, and established physical relations with her under the false promise of marriage, according to the prosecution.

The victim later became pregnant and the accused allegedly refused to fulfil his promise of marriage and even threatened her. Subsequently, a rape case was registered against him under the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act at Chilkana police station of Saharanpur district.

The counsel for the applicant claimed that the survivor is a major and as per ossification report, she is 18-year-old.

Besides, in her statement before magistrate under Section 164 of criminal procedure code, the survivor stated that no force was applied to her, Abhishek's counsel added.

During the hearing, the bench was informed that the accused is willing to take responsibility of the survivor and marry her. He is also prepared to take care of the baby girl born to the accused and the survivor, the counsel assured the court.

The lawyer further stated that the applicant has been in jail since April 4, 2024 and assured that if granted bail, he would not misuse his liberty.

After hearing the rival arguments, the court said a nuanced approach is required in cases involving adolescent relationships.

"The challenge lies in distinguishing between genuine cases of exploitation and those involving consensual relationships. This requires a nuanced approach and careful judicial consideration to ensure justice is served appropriately," the court added.