STATE OF A.P. Vs. YADLA RATNARAJU

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present criminal appeal is preferred by the appellantState challenging the order of acquittal dtd. 19/10/2006 passed in S.C. No. 79 of 2005 on the file of the learned Assistant Sessions Judge, Tanuku. The learned Sessions Judge recorded an order of acquittal for the offences under Ss. 366-A, 376, 419, 354, 448, 506(1), and 182 IPC framed against the accused, and acquitted him under Sec. 235(1) CrPC.

(2.) The case of the prosecution is that PW1 is the daughter of PW2. She was studying Intermediate in the year 2003.The accused is a relative of PW2. On 3/9/2003, as usual, PW1 went to the college located at Tanuku. The accused met her at about 9:00 a.m. and represented to PW1 that her maternal aunt wanted to see her. Believing his representation, PW1 accompanied the accused on his bicycle. The accused took PW1 to the house of PW6, A. Kanakalakshmi, who is the maternal aunt of the accused. PW1 and the accused stayed there for ten days, during which period the accused committed sexual assault on PW1 and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the same to anyone.

(3.) Thereafter, the accused shifted PW1 to the house of PW4, M. Padmavathi, at Masjidpeta, Tadepalligudem, where he kept her for another ten days and again committed sexual assault on her, while issuing similar threats. Subsequently, the accused took PW1 to the house of her maternal grandmother located at Darsiparru of Pentapadu Mandal. The accused informed her maternal grandmother that he had found PW1 on the way and therefore, brought her there. The maternal grandmother requested the accused to hand over PW1 to her parents.