Lucknow, Read: The Lucknow bench of the High Court has given relief to Congress MP Rakesh Rathore and acquitted him of all charges in a rape case registered in Sitapur. The court said that the prosecution evidence itself indicates a long-standing consensual extramarital affair between the alleged rape victim and the MP. In such a situation, the allegation of rape on the pretext of marriage does not seem strong.
Big relief from High Court: MP Rakesh Rathore acquitted of all charges
The Lucknow bench of the High Court has given relief to Congress MP Rakesh Rathore and acquitted him of all charges in the rape case registered in Sitapur. The court has canceled the trial court's order dated May 5, 2025 and has accepted the discharge petition of the MP.
Court's comment: There was consensual relationship between two mature persons.
The court said that the prosecution evidence itself indicated a long-standing consensual extramarital affair between the alleged victim and the MP. The Court held that this situation is contrary to the allegation of 'having a relationship under the pretext of marriage' and continuing criminal proceedings on such baseless allegations would be an abuse of the process of law.
The case was of the year 2020, FIR was registered in January 2025
The alleged victim had lodged an FIR at Sitapur Kotwali police station in January 2025. She had alleged that in the year 2020, Rathore raped her and had a relationship with her by promising to divorce his wife and get married. The trial court had rejected the MP's discharge petition, which has now been accepted by the High Court.
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