LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court granted bail to an accused in an inter-faith live-in rape case on condition that he would marry the prosecutrix (woman complainant) under the Special Marriage Act (SMA) and provide financial security to her and their child.The bench of Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan passed the order on the bail application of the accused Atul Gautam.The complainant, a Muslim woman, accused Atul Gautam, a Hindu man, of breaching his promise to marry her after they lived together in a consensual relationship that resulted in the birth of a child. The High Court order dated December 5, 2024, was uploaded recently.During the proceedings of the case, both parties expressed a willingness for reconciliation, leading the court to explore a resolution focused on their future together while safeguarding the victim and child’s welfare.Earlier, on the basis of a complaint given by the victim, an FIR was lodged against the accused under Sections 376 (rape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code at Madiaon police station in Lucknow. The accused had been in custody since September 16, 2024. The FIR was lodged prior to July, 2024 under sections of the IPC as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was not applicable then.The court observed that both the accused and the woman were said to be in a live-in relationship for a couple of years and they expressed willingness to marry under Special Marriage Act.The court also considered that the FIR itself was a result of the trivial dispute between the parties. The court directed to release the accused on bail imposing certain conditions on him.
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