Daijiworld Media Network

New Delhi, Jun 8: Upholding the acquittal of a man by a trial court in a rape case, the Delhi High Court said that testimony of the woman in the case was ‘untrustworthy’ and contradictory.

The court also observed that the woman had called the man 529 times between the date of alleged rape and the filing of the complaint. The trial court had acquitted the man on January 5.

PTI reported that bench of Justices Manmohan and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal said it was in agreement with the trial court's view that the woman's testimony was ‘highly unreliable’, ‘untrustworthy’ and ‘inspires no confidence’, while dismissing her appeal against the man's acquittal.

The high court noted in its judgement that there were several contradictions in the woman's statement regarding how she met the man, how the alleged incident took place and why there was delay in reporting.

The woman had claimed before the trial court that she had met the man on LinkedIn, however, the same was not stated by her in the complaint to the police, the bench noted.

It added that the hotel where the alleged incident took place had 24 hour security despite which she did not raise alarm or ask them to call the police.

The other inconsistencies in her allegation the court noted were that even after getting her phone back from the man, who had allegedly taken it, she did not call the police for over 30 days and in-between called him 529 times, reported PTI.

The court noted that it was 'highly improbable' that the woman, being a daughter of a retired Commandant of CRPF and herself being a professor, could not make a call to the police or any other person after receiving her mobile phone.

"There is no evidence placed on record to suggest that the appellant- prosecutrix (woman) was administered intoxicating substance and its effect lasted for three days," the bench noted in the judgement and added that the factum of sexual intercourse was not proved.