Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, October 13

A teenaged girl has been sentenced to three months in prison for falsely accusing a man of rape and criminal intimidation in Anantnag.

Additional Sessions Judge, Anantnag, Masarat Shaheen termed the sentence a “lenient” one in her judgment dated October 10. “Taking a lenient view, the accused is sentenced to three months in simple imprisonment. She shall be lodged at the Central Jail, Srinagar,” the judgment reads. The judgment has been delivered at a time when accusations of sexual harassment under the ‘#MeToo’ campaign have rocked the nation.

The girl had in March filed an FIR at Achabal police station against Tajammul Nisar, accusing him of abduction, rape and criminal intimidation. Following the complaint, she testified before the Judicial Magistrate, Anantnag, and repeated the accusations. The case was subsequently put under trial in a fast-track court.

“However, the girl backtracked and told the court that she had lied as Nisar had turned down her proposal for marriage,” Additional Public Prosecutor, Syed Suhail Haqqani, said. The judge told The Tribune that she comes across many cases where false allegations are levelled against men for different reasons. “This should definitely serve as a deterrent. The truth always prevails,” she said.