Team Herald
PANJIM: Two truck drivers from Tamil Nadu, accused of raping a teenager in June 2021, were on Wednesday granted conditional bail after spending about six months in prison. The High Court of Bombay at Goa allowed them bail on strict conditions that they should not leave Goa without court’s permission, attend the Ponda police station every first and fourth Monday of each month, attend the trial, etc.
Usman Sayyad (26) and Saiju Vargis (28) are booked for allegedly raping a 19-year-old girl inside a car at Usgao-Ponda.
The High Court, in its six-page order, said it was an admitted position that although the incident is claimed to have occurred somewhere in June first week, an FIR was registered on July 28, 2021. The Sessions Court recorded that the FIR was delayed by about 52 days. Apart from this, the medical examination showed the victim was carrying pregnancy of 10.3 weeks.
“The duration of the pregnancy, on the face of the statements made in the complaint itself does not appear to prima facie tally with the incident in question. Although Additional Public Prosecutor is justified in contending that there cannot be any mathematical precision in such matter and that it could be a matter of trial,” Justice Manish Pitale noted.