india

Updated: Dec 18, 2015 18:17 IST

In a first, a Delhi court has directed that perjury proceedings be initiated against a woman who allegedly filed a false rape case against two men in order to extract money from them.

While acquitting the two accused, Additional Sessions Judge Virendra Bhat said, “A close scrutiny of evidence clearly indicates that no such rape incident took place and the woman lodged a false case against accused for some ulterior motive.”

He added that such false rape cases had become a menace and needed to be curbed.

“The instances of innocent persons being framed falsely in criminal cases have seen an increase during the past couple of years. Witnesses depose falsely before courts without any fear of the court or the law. Time has come when the courts need to come forward to curb this menace of giving false evidence, by prosecuting and sternly punishing the witnesses found to have resorted to such practices,” the judge said, directing his court staff to file perjury proceedings against the prosecutrix.

The judge added that if a person is falsely accused of rape, he usually remains in jail till the case reaches the arguments stage. This, the court said, meant the man “suffered” harassment that was “above any jail term” he may undergo.

The court also noted that the woman had lodged a police complaint against the two accused in order to extract money illegally from them and later on exonerated one of them after receiving some monetary consideration.

According to the prosecution, the woman claimed that the two accused forced themselves on her in a car on June 19, threatening her to not disclose the incident to anyone. The woman lodged a complaint 15 days after the alleged incident.

During the trial, the accused had denied the allegations and claimed they were falsely implicated by the woman.

The court, which noted that there had been an unexplained delay in lodging the FIR, said, “A close scrutiny of evidence clearly indicates that no such rape incident took place and the woman lodged a false case against accused for some ulterior motive.”