Court grants bail to youth accused of rape

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has granted anticipatory bail to a 22-year-old Pune youth who allegedly raped a married woman repeatedly over several months and threatened to circulate photos and videos of his crime if she refused to have physical relations with him.

According to the prosecution, the accused Sidharth Naikare, had, between November 2017 and March 2018, forcible sexual intercourse with the woman. The woman alleged that Naikare had taken certain photographs of the act on his cell phone and he threatening her that he would ensure the videos and photos go viral.

The police had registered an FIR under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 376 (rape) 66-C and 66-D of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and seized the register of the lodge that Naikare and the woman used to frequent. A medical examination was also carried out on the woman.

Naikare opposed the allegations, saying he had been falsely implicated in the case. He also argued that the woman’s family and his had an old rivalry.

His lawyer submitted that the complainant is a married woman and the medical evidence hasn’t any evidentiary value.

Naikare assured the court that he would cooperate with the probe. The court accepted the statement and allowed him ABA on bail of Rs 25,000.