India News | Allahabad HC grants bail to man accused of drugging his ‘wife’

Prayagraj (UP), July 26 (PTI) – The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to a man accused of raping a woman by allegedly rendering her unconscious with chloroform.

The court relied on the medical opinion that it was not possible for an inexperienced man to undisturbedly anesthetize a sleeping person and replace artificial sleep with natural sleep.

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

Justice Krishan Pahal cited JP Modi’s Medical Jurisprudence & Toxicology, which states that it is “impossible to drug a woman against her will while she is awake.”

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Ravindra Singh Rathaur was accused of entering into a physical relationship with a woman, the complainant in the case, after a sham marriage in 2022.

Rathaur allegedly concealed the fact that he already had two children from a previous marriage. The woman claimed that Rathaur rendered her unconscious with chloroform and recorded their private moments in videos, which he then threatened to upload online.

Justice Pahal emphasised the principle of “presumption of innocence until proven guilty” and referred to the Supreme Court decision in Satender Kumar Antil v. CBI.

The court on Thursday granted the accused’s bail application but said that a person’s right to life and liberty, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, cannot be taken away simply on the basis of a charge unless guilt is proven beyond reasonable doubt.

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