On April 11, 2025, the Allahabad High Court granted bail to a rape accused, observing that the victim “herself invited trouble and was also responsible for the alleged act.”
According to reports, the victim, a postgraduate student, went to a bar in Delhi’s Hauz Khas area with her female friends, where they met the accused and other male acquaintances. After consuming alcohol, she became intoxicated. The accused then took her to his relative’s place in Gurgaon, where she alleged that he raped her twice. She subsequently filed a First Information Report (FIR) in Gautam Budh Nagar, leading to the accused’s arrest in December 2024.
In his bail order, Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh noted, “This court is of the view that even if the allegation of the victim is accepted as true, then it can also be concluded that she herself invited trouble and was also responsible for the same.” The court also highlighted that the victim, being a postgraduate student, was “competent enough to understand the morality and significance of her act.”
The court further observed that the medical examination did not provide conclusive evidence of sexual assault.
This ruling has sparked significant debate and drawn criticism from various quarters, with concerns being raised about victim-blaming and the implications for survivors seeking justice.
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