A local court in Bengaluru on Friday acquitted a man of charges related to subjecting his wife to unnatural sex during the early days of their marriage. The accused, Vikram Vincent, was also cleared of all other charges, including domestic violence and offenses under the Information Technology (IT) Act.
Background of the Case
Vikram Vincent, a resident of Ejipura, runs an educational technology (EdTech) startup in the city. He got married in 2015. The case was registered at Viveknagar police station in 2017 by his wife, who accused him of marital harassment, unnatural sex, and circulating explicit content to her family members.
Legal Proceedings
In 2022, the accused first approached the Karnataka High Court to quash the First Information Report (FIR) registered against him. The aggrieved spouse filed a writ petition seeking reinvestigation. The court issued a combined order for both petitions and criticized the police for conducting a "shoddy investigation." Subsequently, the trial court passed its orders, stating that there was insufficient evidence against Vikram and acquitted him of all charges.
Counsel's Statement
Sanjay Sugumaran from Arcadia Legal Services, representing Vikram, explained that revised statements by the complainant and a lack of medical and technical evidence led to the acquittal. He stated: "The trial court acquitted the accused on all counts, citing material contradictions in the prosecution’s narrative, which evolved across multiple statements. The court deemed these discrepancies substantial, destroying witness credibility and failing to meet the ‘sterling witness’ standard. Furthermore, the case lacked contemporaneous medical evidence, as examinations revealed no injuries despite claims of repeated painful acts on the complainant. Crucially, electronic evidence failed to meet statutory requirements under the Evidence Act, with forensic analyses failing to connect the accused to the alleged transmissions. Ultimately, these deficiencies created reasonable doubt."
The court's decision underscores the importance of consistent evidence and adherence to legal standards in criminal trials.
