Rajkot: An additional sessions court in Keshod, Junagadh district, sentenced a 30-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping a woman, who had to abort the resultant fetus at 24 weeks, after she drank acid in a bid to end her life.The court relied on forensic DNA evidence that established that the convict was the biological father of the aborted fetus.Additional sessions judge Harsh Trivedi pronounced the verdict on Thursday, finding Mahmad alias Bhuro Husain Safiya guilty under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The accused was 20 years old and the victim was 18 years old when the crime was committed.Four co-accused — parents and relatives -of the accused — were acquitted of all charges under IPC Sections 376, 506(2), and 114 after the prosecution failed to prove criminal intimidation or abetment against them beyond reasonable doubt. The court also acquitted the convict of intimidation and abetment charges.According to prosecution records, the offence occurred near a field in Gadu village, where Safiya lured the woman and raped her. When she got pregnant and asked him to marry her, Safiya refused and threatened her life. Overwhelmed by the trauma and betrayal, the victim drank acid at her house on Sept 26, 2015.She survived the attempt with severe internal damage, requiring extensive medical interventions including reconstructive food-pipe surgery and tube feeding. Following directions from Gujarat High Court, her 24-week pregnancy was terminated at Sola Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad. Samples taken from the fetus, the victim, and Safiya were submitted to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Gandhinagar.During the trial, the defence argued that the complaint for rape — filed on Dec 19, 2015 — nearly three months after the acid ingestion — was delayed and fabricated. The defence further contended that consensual relations were involved and challenged the evidentiary weight of the DNA report without direct testimony from the testing expert.“Rejecting the defence’s contentions, the court observed that the delay in lodging the FIR was fully justified by the victim’s critical medical state and prolonged loss of speech. The court noted that the FSL report confirmed Safiya’s paternity of the fetus. The court ruled that forensic scientific corroboration, combined with the victim’s consistent testimony regarding no consent, established guilt beyond reasonable doubt,” said D C Thakar, assistant public prosecutor.The court also fined Safiya Rs 1 lakh, directing the entire amount to be paid as compensation to the victim.
