UP man falsely accused by khap cleared of rape charge

POLICE TOLD THE SUPREME COURT ON THURSDAY THAT BOTH CHARGES WERE FALSE AND STEPS WILL BE TAKEN TO CLOSE THEM

NEWDELHI: Ravi is a relieved man now — more than three years after he was accused of raping the woman he loved and married, and keeping drugs, for which he spent over three months in jail.

Uttar Pradesh police told the Supreme Court on Thursday that both charges were false and steps will be taken to close them.

The state government did not reveal why he was charged — falsely, going by the police statement. But a petition filed by his sisters before the top court tells what happened with the 28-yearold man, who is known only by his first name.

Ravi is a Dalit from a village in Baghpat district of UP and the cases were foisted on him after he married a woman from the Jat community, the plea says.

His sisters rushed to the top court in September 2015 after a khap panchayat — a village coun- cil without any legal backing — issued a diktat that both be raped and paraded naked as revenge for their brother eloping with a married woman from a community considered higher in the caste order than his.

The sisters complained that false cases were lodged against Ravi, prompting the top court to order an investigation by a special team. Ravi was in jail for three-and-a-half months before the court released him on bail on September 16, 2015.

At a hearing on April 5 this year, UP’S additional advocate general Aishwarya Bhati informed a bench headed by Jus- tice J Chelameswar that no evidence was found against Ravi for the drugs charges. The bench allowed the state to file a closure report on this case.

Also, the court recorded in its order that the “victim” had appeared before the judges and denied the sexual assault charges against Ravi. This prompted additional advocate general Bhati to assure that the rape case would be closed too.

The bench said it will order an inquiry against police officers who initiated the “false” criminal proceedings. According to Ravi’s counsel Rahul Tyagi, the family was under pressure from police to withdraw the court petition. The family lives in fear despite protection and doesn’t want to return to the village. “We can tell them (the government) to take over your land and compensate you because you will not be able to enjoy your property,” the bench said and sought the family’s response.