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Allahabad HC grants bail to man accused of drugging wife, says ‘It is impossible to drug the woman against her will’ | Allahabad News

The Allahabad High Court granted bail to Ravindra Singh Rathaur, accused of raping a woman with chloroform. Citing a medical expert… Read more
NEW DELHI: The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to Ravindra Singh Rathaur, who is accused of raping a woman and rendering her unconscious with chloroform. Judge Krishan Pahal cited medical expertise and said it was highly unlikely that a layman could anaesthetise a sleeping person without disturbing him.

The court emphasized the principle of “presumption of innocence until proven guilty” and referred to a decision of the Supreme Court.

“The story, often published in the lay press, of a woman who was suddenly rendered unconscious by holding a handkerchief soaked in chloroform in front of her face and who was then raped is unbelievable,” the court said.

Justice Pahal also referred to JP Modi’s “Medical Jurisprudence & Toxicology” and observed that “it is impossible to drug a woman against her will while she is awake.”

Rathaur was accused of having a physical relationship with the plaintiff after purportedly marrying her in 2022. It was later revealed that he had concealed the fact that he had two children from a previous marriage.

The plaintiff alleged that Rathaur rendered her unconscious with chloroform and recorded videos of their private moments. She claimed that he threatened to upload these videos online.

Justice Pahal stressed the importance of the principle of ‘presumption of innocence until proven guilty’ and referred to the Supreme Court decision in Satender Kumar Antil v. CBI.

The court concluded that a person’s right to life and liberty, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, cannot be impaired on the basis of an accusation alone unless guilt is proved beyond reasonable doubt.
The TOI City Desk is a tireless team of journalists dedicated to the … Read more

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