Kasauli court accepts police closure report, gives clean chit to Haryana BJP chief, singer

The case was registered on the complaint of a 28-year-old woman, who had alleged that she was gangraped by the two accused at a hotel in Kasauli, Solan district, in July 2023.

However, the FIR was lodged at Kasauli police station on December 13, 2024, nearly 17 months after the alleged incident.

According to police, the woman failed to appear before the court during the proceedings. The court accepted the cancellation report after police stated that no evidence could be collected to substantiate the allegations.

The complainant had alleged that the accused forced her to consume alcohol, raped her and recorded compromising photographs and videos. However, she had refused to undergo a medical examination, and CCTV footage from the alleged location was also unavailable, police said.

Court records indicate that the case suffered from multiple infirmities. The victim's friend, who was cited as an eyewitness, did not support the allegations and denied the incident in her statement before the court. The allegations were also not corroborated by the complainant's employer, who had accompanied her to Kasauli. In the absence of medical or other corroborative evidence, the court found the allegations doubtful.

The court had earlier, on March 12, accepted the closure report citing the unexplained delay of over 17 months in reporting the incident, lack of supporting testimony from witnesses and absence of medical evidence. The order was later challenged by the complainant through a revision petition.

Confirming the development, Superintendent of Police Solan district, Gaurav Singh said, "The court has upheld the police closure report due to lack of evidence and dismissed the allegations. As a result, Mohan Lal Badoli and Rocky Mittal will not face rape charges in this case." (ANI)