Delhi Court Orders Perjury Action Against Woman for False Rape Allegation; Accused Acquitted
During trial, the court found the woman’s testimony riddled with inconsistencies and contradictions;
“The gavel has fallen in favour of the accused, but the echo of accusation lingers,” observed Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Anuj Agrawal of Delhi’s Tis Hazari Court, while acquitting a man falsely accused of rape and directing initiation of perjury proceedings against the complainant. The judgment, delivered on July 2, condemned the misuse of criminal law and emphasized the need to safeguard the dignity of innocent individuals caught in the crosshairs of fabricated accusations.
The case involved a woman who had met the accused through a matrimonial website in 2021. She alleged that the man sexually assaulted her on two occasions—first in his car in September 2021 and then at her residence in October 2021, while also claiming that he had taken her nude photographs. However, a forensic examination of the accused’s mobile phone failed to recover any such images.
During trial, the court found the woman’s testimony riddled with inconsistencies and contradictions. Citing American criminal defense attorney F. Lee Bailey’s famous quote, “In court, the truth is often lost in the process...men lie, even under God,” Judge Agrawal remarked that the adage “squarely applies” to the case at hand.
The court came down strongly on the misuse of judicial process, noting: “An acquittal would not serve the interest of justice, as the law must not only punish the guilty but also protect the dignity of an innocent.”
Highlighting that the complainant had filed similar allegations against multiple persons in the past, the judge observed: “It is evident from the record that the prosecutrix lied under oath, destroying the trust on which justice stands.”
The court directed that a complaint under perjury laws be forwarded to the Chief Judicial Magistrate (Central) for appropriate action. The judgment also raised concerns over police conduct, pointing out that the accused had been detained even before an FIR was registered, and that the investigating officer had telephonic conversations with the complainant at least 16–17 times between September and October 2021.
While the court stopped short of ordering a departmental probe, it noted: “The contention of the defence that concerned police officials were in ‘cahoots’ with the prosecutrix so that they could extort money from the accused cannot be brushed aside lightly.”
In a significant warning against frivolous prosecutions, the court said: “False rape accusations not only put unnecessary load on the overflowing dockets but also cause grave injustice to actual rape victims.”