The Delhi High Court has overturned the conviction of a man sentenced to three years in jail for allegedly assaulting a minor girl, ruling that the prosecution failed to prove she was underage. Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri, delivering the judgment on September 16, 2025, emphasized that the trial court had erred in relying on a forged birth certificate to conclude the victim's age.
Background
Arjun was convicted by a trial court in January 2018 under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (rape). The case originated from March 2013, when the girl's mother reported her missing. Days later, the girl surfaced and gave statements about leaving home with a friend, Pavan Pal. Initially, she did not mention Arjun's name. Only later, in her statement under Section 164 Cr.P.C., did she claim that Arjun, a friend of Pavan, had physical relations with her in 2011, based on a promise of marriage.
Read Also : Patna High Court Orders Bihar Congress to Take Down AI Video of PM Modi and Late Mother
The trial court acquitted Pavan but convicted Arjun, primarily on the ground that the girl was a minor at the time.
Court's Observations
The High Court took a hard look at the inconsistencies. Justice Ohri noted that the girl herself admitted her first statement to the police did not name Arjun. It was only two days later that his name came up.
''Such material improvements in testimony cast serious doubt,'' the judge remarked.
A crucial turning point was the dispute over the victim's age. The prosecution leaned on her school admission records, which were backed by a birth certificate. However, during trial proceedings, officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi testified that the certificate was fake.
''The very foundation of the prosecution case- that the victim was a minor- crumbles once the certificate is discredited,'' the bench observed.
Adding to the uncertainty, the girl gave conflicting birth dates during testimony and denied the accuracy of school records. The Court also pointed out that no medical ossification test had been conducted to scientifically determine her age.
Read Also : Chhattisgarh High Court Allows Withdrawal of Acquittal Appeal in Cheque Bounce Case, Grants Fresh Liberty
Decision
After weighing the contradictions and lack of credible proof, the High Court ruled that consensual relations between the two could not amount to rape if the girl was not shown to be a minor.
''At no point has the prosecutrix alleged forcible sexual relations. She herself described them as consensual,'' the judge recorded.
Accordingly, the Court set aside Arjun's conviction and sentence, ordering his acquittal. His bail bond was canceled, and the surety discharged.
With this order, a case that had lingered for more than a decade was finally closed.
Case Tittle : Arjun vs State (NCT of Delhi)
Case Number : CRL.A. 1004/2018
