Kerala HC grants anticipatory bail to rape accused on learning woman received money

Kochi, Sep 2 (IANS) The Kerala High Court granted anticipatory bail to a rape accused on finding that the woman had received Rs 5,000 from the accused person after the alleged incident of rape.

The court after being convinced of a social media message which showed that the sexual intercourse was consensual in nature and that payment of Rs 5,000 was made to her.

It was after that the Court granted anticipatory bail to the accused person charged with rape charges.

According to the prosecution, the accused person, along with another man, brought the victim to a hotel and served her liquor, and engaged in sexual intercourse by taking her sexually explicit video, and transmitted the same on electronic media.

But the counsel for the accused person submitted that no materials were on record to connect the applicant with the alleged crime and he is entitled to get bail.

But the Court relying on the First Information Statement (FIS) and WhatsApp screenshots found that the woman voluntarily went to the hotel knowing very well that the person and the other accused were present in the hotel.

The Court also found out that there was a delay of 12 days in lodging the First Information Report (FIR) and there is no need for custodial interrogation and granted pr-arrest bail to the accused person and asked him to cooperate for investigation.