Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (EP)

Mangaluru, March 6: The High Court of Karnataka has given a clean chit to professor of Konaje University Dr Vedava P in a rape case.

Kodava study centre assistant researcher Poornima had registered a rape case against Kannada department assistant professor, Dr Vedava P. She had complained that the latter had raped her and threatened to kill her on June 6, 2013.

The district sixth additional district and sessions court had passed summons on the basis of the chargesheet without finding witnesses.

Dr Vedava submitted a discharge petition under Section 227 in a hearing before the chargesheet stage. The court had rejected the petition. Dr Vedava filed a criminal petition at the High Court under Section 482 questioning the lower court's decision. The high court stayed the district judge’s discharge order in 2017.

The high court stated that there was no evidence in the chargesheet and the FIR. It upheld the earlier judgments of Dr Dhruvam Dr Muralidhar Sonar case against the government of Maharashtra in 2018 and the Shambhu Karwar case against the Uttar Pradesh government while acquitting Dr Vedava P of all the charges.

The high court concluded that as the rape had occurred on June 2, 2013 and the FIR was registered on August 16, 2014 it indicated that there was a relationship between the accused and the complainant and that there was an intention to take revenge when the relationship between the two turned sour.

Poornima had staged a protest in front of the administrative office of Mangaluru University on October 29, 2014 demanding justice for her.

High Court advocate general Ravi Shanker Kodenkiri argued in favour of the accused.