'State's future assets': High Court grants bail to IIT-Guwahati student accused of rape

Guwahati: Raising eyebrows, Gauhati High Court granted bail to IIT student, accused of raping a fellow student terming them "the state's future assets." The court observed that "there is a clear prima facie case as alleged against the accused petitioner".

Utsav Kadam was alleged of making one of his friends inebriated and raping her on March 28. Justice Ajit Borthakur in the order on August 13 termed both the victim and accused "state's future assets".

"However, as the investigation of 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 in IIT, Guwahati, who are young, in the age group of 19 to 21 years only. 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. A perusal of the list of witnesses too, cited in the charge-sheet, this Court finds no possibility of the accused tampering with their evidence or influencing them directly or indirectly, if released on bail," said the court's order.

The high court granted bail to the accused for Rs 30,000 bond along with two sureties. Sessions Judge also asked the accused to appear before trial Court on all dates till the case is disposed of. The court also directed that the accused shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to police officers or the Court. The court has also asked the accused not to leave the territorial jurisdiction of the Court of Sessions Judge, Kamrup without prior written permission.

According to the case history, the accused, who is a student of the premier educational institute, lured the victim to Aksara School premises on March 28, 2021, around 9 pm and raped her after making her unconscious by forcibly administering alcohol to her. The victim regained her consciousness at around 5 am the next morning at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) where she underwent treatment and forensic examination. She was discharged from GMCH on March 29 and shifted to the hospital at IITG where she underwent treatment till April 3.