Delhi High Court, the Single Judge Bench of Justice Mukta Gupta granted relief of a week from arrest to TV Anchor Varun Hiremath in the rape case lodged against him by a 22-year-old woman. He has been granted interim relief on condition of join the investigation.
However the counsel of 22-year-old prosecutrix objected to granting relief on the grounds that the Anchor has been missing for 50 days. The bench said that,
“He has made out some case, it has to be verified. If it was a consensual relationship, it has to be verified…I have given a short date.”, Bar and Bench published it.
About the Case
An FIR under IPC section 376, 342 and 509 has been registered at the Chanakyapuri police station, Delhi against the 28-year-old Mumbai-based ET Now news channel anchor and analyst Varun Hiremath on 23 February.
Varun Hiremath hid after the complaint. Then in ten days, the Delhi Police issued a lookout circular against him and took steps to barred him from leaving the country.
The trial court of Patiala house rejected the bail pleas of Hiremath.
“Considering the nature of (the) accusation made against the accused, evidence collected by the IO against him and the facts and circumstances, the gravity of offence and discussion made herein above, I am not inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the accused,” Justice Sanjay Khanagwal said, The Wire published it.
The counsel of TV anchor Varun Hiremath told the court that, Hiremath has been falsely implicated in the case. I their application, it is also pointed-out a delay of three days in lodging the FIR by the complainant. They also cited the history of a previous sexual relationship between the accused and complainant.
“The woman and Hiremath had engaged in consensual sexual activity, the application said. It claimed that the 22-year-old’s ‘interest’ in the accused becomes ‘clear’ because she came from Pune to meet him in Delhi and went into the double occupancy room ‘willingly after giving her identity documents to the hotel management'”, The Wire published from the application.
The 22-year-old complainant spoken to the media that;
“The reason I agreed to go to the hotel room was only because he had told me that he is in town with his family,…I figured that it would be fine. When I was asked to submit my Aadhar card at the hotel, I thought that was for Covid-19,… I had no clue that Varun is booking himself a new room, in a separate wing of the same hotel. I had repeatedly told him no, but he was all aggressive, I felt he would harm me inside the room,…He threatened me saying he has paid Rs 11,000 for this room.”
The complainant also refused consensual sex between them.
“I had made it clear to Varun that I have no interest or desire to indulge in sexual intercourse with him. There is no question of consent,… It took great courage to bring the matter to the police but I am also disappointed that he still hasn’t been caught.”
