Suicide bid in court: ‘Rape accused held for threatening victim’

The state government Monday informed the Gujarat High Court that the accused in a rape case, who allegedly used to threaten the victim following which the woman attempted suicide in courtroom, has been arrested and sent to judicial custody in connection with a fresh FIR registered against him for threatening the victim.

The public prosecutor told this to the HC while the court was hearing the victim's petition praying cancellation of bail granted to the accused, Sandip Panchal, in the rape case.

The 26-year-old rape victim had attempted suicide on February 26 after her matter was adjourned for non-availability of her lawyer who had filed a leave note due to death of his grandmother. The woman was shifted to the Sola civil hospital under critical condition. When she was being taken to the hospital, the woman had told a lawyer about threat calls she had got from the accused to withdraw the case.

Her petition seeking cancellation the bail granted to the accused is being heard by the court of Justice A J Desai.

During its hearing, public prosecutor Prakash Jani informed the court that the accused has been arrested in connection with an FIR of threatening the victim registered with the Sola police station. He told the court that the accused was remanded in police custody for a day and later sent to jail in judicial custody.

In the penultimate hearing of the petition, the HC had raised question as to why did the police not take the accused in remand in the rape case, especially when it was alleged by the victim that he had shot a clip of rape.

In 2010, the woman had lodged a complaint with the Meghaninagar police station alleging Panchal of raping her. She also alleged that she was raped by Panchal in 2008 and that was videographed by him.

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