Delhi court grants anticipatory bail to rape accused, cites delay in reporting alleged offence

A Delhi court has granted anticipatory bail to a man accused of raping a divorced woman on the pretext of marriage, citing a significant delay in reporting the alleged crime and concluding that his custodial interrogation is unnecessary.

The case, registered at Sarita Vihar police station, involves charges under sections of the Indian Penal Code for rape, criminal intimidation, and voluntarily causing hurt. According to the prosecution, the accused allegedly raped the 32-year-old woman, a domestic cook with a child from a previous marriage, in his office at Jasola Vihar in 2016. The prosecution further claimed that the accused recorded objectionable videos of the victim and used them to coerce her into a prolonged sexual relationship by threatening to release the clips online.

The woman filed a complaint with the police in 2024, eight years after the alleged incident. In its order dated January 8, Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh observed that the complainant’s prolonged delay in reporting the matter undermined her claims. The court stated, “The complainant approached the police for the first time in 2024 for an offence allegedly committed in 2016. The period of eight years is too long to seriously wait for the accused to act upon his alleged promise to marry the complainant.”

Judge Singh also noted that the complainant’s relatives lived in the same city, and there was no apparent reason that prevented her from reporting the alleged crime earlier. The court concluded, “It does not seem to be a case where the arrest or custodial interrogation is required, and the accused is ready and willing to join the investigation.”

Granting bail, the court imposed conditions, including a personal bond and surety bond of ₹25,000 each. The accused was also directed to cooperate with the investigation and avoid any contact with the complainant.