bhopal

Updated: Oct 20, 2014 15:02 IST

A court in Panna has sentenced a woman to seven years of rigorous punishment for leveling false rape allegations on a person and later retracting her charges during trial after taking money from the accused. The Panna sessions court passed the order on Saturday.

In March 2008, the 27-year-old woman — a resident of Bartala village in Panna district — lodged a complaint with police accusing a person of the same village of raping her. She had also lodged a complaint under the Prevention of Atrocities against SC/ST Act.

The village is over 400 km from capital Bhopal. However, in a statement before the court a year later, she denied that she had been raped by the accused Bankat Singh.

In 2009, the sessions judge hearing the case asked the police to register a case against the woman for maliciously leveling false charges and lying before the court.

According to public prosecutor Kishor Shrivastva, during trial, it was found that woman had put false charges on the accused for money. She also misused prevention of Atrocities against SC/ST Act. She withdrew the charge after taking Rs 25,000 from Bankat Singh’s family, he said.

Session judge DP Mishra held the woman guilty and sentenced her to seven years in prison under section 195 (giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction of offence punishable with imprisonment for life or imprisonment) and 211 (false charge of offence made with intent to injure) of Indian Penal Code. She has been sentenced to seven years and five years of rigorous imprisonment respectively under the two sections but the sentences would run concurrently.