PRAYAGRAJ, Nov. 22 -- The Allahabad high court has quashed criminal proceedings against a rape accused booked under the POCSO Act and Indian Penal Code in 2017, noting that he had married the survivor "long way back".

Notably, the girl in her statement before the police had said that she went with the accused on her own will as she was not a minor and the man had not enticed her away.

Justice Vivek Kumar Singh allowed the petition filed by Wasiullah and two others who sought quashing of the criminal case against them pending before a trial court in Sant Kabir Nagar.

In its judgement, dated November 20, the court observed, "In the present case, the applicant no.1 and the victim have solemnized their marriage and a baby boy was born out ...