Allahabad HC grants bail to man accused of raping his ‘wife’ under drug

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

Justice Krishan Pahal relied on JP Modi’s Medical Jurisprudence & Toxicology, which states that “it is impossible to drug a woman against her will while she is awake.” Ravindra Singh Rathaur was accused of entering into a physical relationship with a woman, the plaintiff in the case, after entering into 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, saying that the right to life and liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution cannot be taken away from a person simply by framing him, unless his guilt is proved beyond reasonable doubt. PTI COR RAJ VN VN

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