Consensual eloping is not kidnapping

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Additional sessions judge K R Chaudhary acquitted accused Ansari Mohd Shoab Nizamuddin of the charges of kidnapping and rape of a minor girl as it was not proved that the accused kidnapped the girl who had eloped with him with consent.

A minor college student was working as a salesgirl. She had a friendship with her colleague Shoab and they developed an affair. On May 11, 2019, she went to her job from home but did not return. She had gone with Shoaib to Daulatabad. While returning, Shoaib’s relative saw them and he told the girl that Shoaib was already married. Later, Shoaib’s wife severely beat the girl. Shoaib took the girl to Mumbai and lived in various places. When both of them came to the city and directly went to the Cantonment police station. There the girl did not mention that they had any physical relations. No concrete evidence of physical relations was found in her medical report either.

The court observed that the prosecution could not prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt and hence acquitted the accused from the charges. Adv Mohd Sharef appeared for the accused.