Court sentences woman to 1,653 days in prison for falsely accusing husband of rape

In a landmark verdict, another district court in Bareilly on Saturday sentenced a woman to 1,653 days in jail, the same number of days an innocent man was wrongly imprisoned for her false statement. The woman was also fined Rs 5.9 lakh. The case, presided over by ADJ Gyanendra Tripathi, highlighted the grave consequences of misuse of legal protection meant for real victims.

In 2019, based on her statements to the police and in court, Ajay Kumar aka Raghav was arrested on charges of kidnapping and raping a 15-year-old girl. The allegations were substantiated by sections on unlawful detention, rape and POCSO, triggered by a complaint from the girl’s mother.

But years after the legal battle began, the accuser recanted her testimony, admitting that Ajay was innocent and that her initial statements were made under pressure from her mother, who disapproved of Ajay’s close relationship with her older sister. During the trial, it emerged that the change in statement was influenced by her husband’s desire to end the protracted trial.

Suneel Pandey, additional counsel for the district administration, said that the woman initially claimed that she was sedated, confined and raped by Ajay in Delhi. He found that their withdrawal was allegedly motivated by financial incentives, which the court found dubious and detrimental to the judicial process.

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“The judge highlighted the seriousness of the allegations, which could have resulted in Ajay being sentenced to life in prison. The false allegations not only resulted in Ajay being sentenced to wrongful imprisonment but also branded him with the stigma of rape allegation,” Pandey said.

The court’s decision to sentence the woman to the same prison term that Ajay served is aimed at setting a strong precedent against the abuse of laws protecting women. The case also highlighted the financial and reputational damage caused to Ajay, who suffered significant loss of income during his time in prison.