Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has granted bail to Nitin Dhaberao, a man arrested for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl. Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke justified the decision by stating that the girl and the accused had a consensual affair, describing the sexual relationship as an outcome of love and not lust.
The court acknowledged that the girl was a minor but pointed out that she had voluntarily left her house and stayed with Dhaberao. The judge noted that both the accused and the girl were of tender age, with Dhaberao being 26 years old.
“The applicant is also of the tender age of 26 years, and out of the love affair, they come together,” stated Justice Joshi-Phalke in the order. The court seemed to imply that the alleged sexual relationship was a result of mutual attraction between the two young individuals and not a case of the accused assaulting the victim out of lust.
The incident dates back to August 2020 when the girl’s father filed a missing complaint. Upon being located by the police, the girl reportedly informed them that she had willingly left her house due to her relationship with Dhaberao. According to her statement, the accused had promised to marry her, leading her to steal ornaments and cash from her home to live with him.
