PRAYAGRAJ, Jan. 15 -- The Allahabad high court on Tuesday set aside the conviction of a man accused of kidnapping and rape while observing that the victim did not mention anything about forcible sexual assault during her medical examination or in her statement under Section 164 CrPC made before the judicial magistrate.

Allowing the appeal filed by Bhagwat Kushwaha, a bench of Justice Achal Sachdev acquitted him of charges under Sections 366 (kidnapping or abducting a woman to compel marriage) and 376 (rape) of the IPC, overturning a September 2019 judgment of the special judge (Pocso), Jhansi.

The court noted that the victim had made exculpatory statements before the judicial magistrate, stating that she was in a consensual relationship...