Tamil Nadu: Girl’s testimony gets clean chit for neighbour in false rape case

CHENNAI: What was purported to be a case of 'repeated rape of a schoolgirl' at knifepoint by her 40-year-old neighbour six years ago has now turned out to be a false complaint lodged by the girl at the instance of her father, who had a personal issue with the accused man.
The saving grace was the fact that the girl told the truth in court, leading to the acquittal of the man by a mahila court in Chengalpet.
As per the initial complaint, between Dec 2018 and Jan 2019, the schoolgirl's neighbour repeatedly raped her at knifepoint while her father was away in the evenings. The man allegedly threatened to kill her if she told anyone.
Based on this, the 40-year-old man was arrested by the Sunambedu police, and the case was brought to Chengalpet mahila court in 2020. However, during the hearing, the girl disclosed that her father compelled her into lodging a false complaint against the neighbour to settle personal scores.
She testified that on the day of the alleged incident, she was merely speaking to the neighbour in the backyard, but her father suspected a relationship.
Girl was forced to quit school
Despite her explanation that nothing inappropriate happened, her father and his friends did not believe her. In an emotional outburst late in the night, she told him she indeed liked the man and that she would marry him.
Although she later clarified that it was an emotional reaction and a mistake, her father insisted she file a police complaint.
He then took her to a nearby govt hospital where she was given abortion pills and subsequently forced to quit school, she told the court.
She pleaded with the judge for support to continue her education.
Medical tests conducted by doctors at Govt Medical College Hospital, Chengalpet, confirmed that the girl had not been raped.
Further cross-examination by the defence revealed that the complaint was written by the father's friend, and the girl was made to sign it.
Additionally, the accused testified that the girl's mother had been living separately since 2014, and he had helped her buy a property, which caused the father to harbour a grudge and use this situation to file a false complaint.
Though there were insufficient documents to support this claim, other evidence and the girl's firm testimony prompted Judge M Ezhilarasi to acquit the man of all charges on July 16.