"State's Future Assets": IIT-Guwahati Student, Accused Of Rape, Gets Bail

The Gauhati High Court has granted bail to a main accused in the IIT-Guwahati rape case in last March, saying both the youth - the accused and the survivor - are the "state's future assets".

The accused, a 21-year-old BTech student, allegedly made a 19-year-old woman from the same institute drink alcohol forcibly and raped her.

A single-judge bench of Justice Ajit Borthakur, in its March 13 judgment, said there is enough evidence against the accused. "On hearing the learned counsel for both sides with reference to the relevant documents such as FIR, medical report and statements... there is a clear prima facie case as alleged against the accused petitioner," the court order said.

However, the court said that "while dealing with a bail application, the court is not called upon to discuss the merits or demerits of the evidence available against the accused, but some reasons for prima facie concluding while bail is being granted need to be indicated in brief."

The court said, "Investigation in the case is completed and both the informant/victim girl and the accused are the state's future assets being talented students pursuing technical courses at the II., Guwahati, who are young in the age group of 19 to 21 years only and further, they are being hailed from two different states, continuation of detention of the accused in the interest of trial of the case, if charges are framed, may not be necessary."

The court granted the accused bail for a bond of Rs 30,000 and on the condition that he cannot leave Kamrup district without informing the Judicial Magistrate.

In a similar case in February 2017, two students of IIT-Guwahati were arrested for allegedly raping three girls of Gauhati University by lacing their drinks with drugs during the institute's annual cultural festival.