False rape case: Kochi youths jailed for 68 days

Kochi: Two young men spent 68 days in jail due to a false rape complaint filed by a minor girl, who later admitted the accusation was untrue. The complaint was filed by the girl against her relatives as revenge for obstructing her romantic relationship with a classmate, which led to the youths' arrest.

The High Court has granted bail to the 19 and 20-year-old men after the girl confessed that her accusation was false. Justice CS Dias also directed that the two men receive counselling at government expense.

The court emphasised the need for careful consideration before taking action on rape and molestation complaints from minors and suggested that the government create guidelines for such cases.

The complaint was filed with the Thadiyittaparambu police in Ernakulam district. It included charges under various sections of the POCSO Act, as well as a rape allegation. The girl claimed one of the youths had molested her in 2017 when she was in the 6th standard, and the other had done so the previous year. The youths were arrested on May 30.

The girl and her father later submitted an affidavit along with their bail application, declaring that the complaint was false. The court also summoned the girl and spoke with her. The girl revealed that she filed a false complaint out of spite because her mother discovered from the youths about her romantic relationship with a classmate. She also said that she never expected the youths to be arrested and jailed, adding that they had done nothing wrong. The father mentioned he only learned about the complaint when the police arrived at their home.

The court described the case as an example of misuse of the POCSO Act. While the law generally prohibits action based on false complaints by minors, the court highlighted that such misuse poses a serious threat.

The youths were granted bail on a bond of Rs 50,000, along with two sureties of the same amount.