Chhattisgarh High Court Acquits Man After 6 Years of Jail, Citing Consensual Sex & Victim's Past

The Chhattisgarh High Court has acquitted a man convicted for rape under Section 376(2)(n) of the IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act, after nearly six years in prison. 

The man was convicted in 2018 for allegedly raping a girl he had eloped with and married. The FIR was filed by the girl’s father, claiming she was a minor.

The Court found no admissible evidence to establish the victim's minority, and the victim acknowledged that the relationship was consensual. Medical reports indicated no injuries and suggested the victim was habituated to sexual activity.

The Court set aside the conviction, ordering the man's immediate release. (Tarun Sen v. State of Chhattisgarh)