High Court Quashes Rape Charges Over Allegation Discrepancies

The Allahabad High Court has overturned criminal proceedings, inclusive of a chargesheet, against a government official accused of rape, citing that the allegations were not convincingly sustainable. Justice Avnish Saxena delivered the ruling, emphasizing discrepancies in the complainant’s claims of rape under duress over a period of time.

The initial FIR accused Neeraj Kumar of repeated sexual offenses against a woman, who stated that videos were used to coerce her. Despite the allegations, the court noted doubts around the consensual or forcible nature of the acts based on available records and the victim's own statements.

Justice Saxena further ruled out evidence against Kumar’s cousin, accused of aiding in alleged extortion. The court's judgment also highlighted crucial gaps in evidence, including the lack of material proof like CCTV footage, thereby quashing the proceedings.