In an order dated 17 March 2026, an Additional Sessions Judge in Delhi, hearing an anticipatory bail application in a case registered at the Keshav Puram police station, granted the applicant interim protection from arrest. The court directed that no coercive action be taken against him until the next date of hearing and that he join and cooperate with the investigation. Advocate Pravesh Dabas appeared for the applicant.
What the court considered
- The FIR was registered nearly five years after the first alleged incident in April 2021. The court said the applicant deserved the opportunity to join the investigation.
- The investigating officer told the court that material said to support the allegations had not been provided to the police, and that the complainant had declined part of the medical examination.
- The prosecution opposed relief, citing the seriousness of the allegations.
- For the applicant, it was argued that the case arose out of a commercial dispute over money owed for goods supplied — after reminders and a legal notice — and that the parties had been in a long consensual relationship before relations soured over the dispute.
The court allowed the investigating officer to place further developments on record, including any grounds for seeking custodial interrogation, at the next hearing.
Where it was reported
- The Times of India — "5-year gap before FIR, rape accused gets interim relief" (print), and online as "Man gets interim relief in rape case; court notes five-year gap before FIR" (19 March 2026)
The report spells the advocate's name "Parvesh".
