Rajasthan businessman accused of raping woman at Delhi hotel granted bail

A Delhi Court has granted bail to a businessman accused of allegedly raping a woman at a Delhi hotel.

The accused belongs to Barmer, Rajasthan, and had met the victim in January 2021 at a spa in Ahmedabad city where he used to run his business. Then they had started meeting regularly and had financial transactions too, the accused has alleged.

Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Kumar at Saket District Court granted bail to the accused in a rape case registered at Greater Kailash Part-1 Police Station, New Delhi.

The Court granted bail considering the fact that the accused in the custody since March 1, 2022.

It is also admitted position that complainant was married when she became a friend of accused and money transactions started between them. The complainant has appeared and submitted that she is a married lady, as on date, the Court order stated.

The relationship between the parties started on January 3, 2021, and FIR was registered on February 27, 2022. The investigation has reported that the accused had booked a room in a hotel in Delhi for February 9, 2022, and a copy of the check-in and check out register along with CCTV footage reveal that accused had stayed with complainant in the said hotel during the said period, the Court noted in a recent order.

The Court directed the accused to not leave Delhi and Barmer without permission of the SHO concerned. In case, he wants to leave he will inform the investigation officer (IO) in writing giving all the details of the place to be visited, the court directed.

Advocate Sanjiv Malik, counsel for the accused had claimed that the accused was given extortion threats by the complainant and her husband.

"Accused did not know from day one that the complainant is married. The accused had transferred Rs 52 Lakh to complainant on different occasions as demanded by her," he said.

On the other hand, it was alleged by the complainant in the FIR that she had given Rs 880,000 to the accused out of which he had refunded Rs 200,000 to her. It was also alleged that the accused had raped the victim on many occasions at various places.

She alleged that the accused did a wrongful act on the complainant at the Delhi hotel on February 9. The accused had also called the husband of the complainant at the hotel and showed him her videos and photos.

( With inputs from ANI )