A Delhi court denied anticipatory bail to a former professor accused of raping a student. The order highlights alleged coercion, power imbalance and risks to crucial electronic evidence.
Delhi court denies pre-arrest bail to ex-professor over rape, video threats. (AI-generated video)
New Delhi,Oct 19, 2026 21:30 IST
A Delhi court has denied anticipatory bail to a former university professor accused of raping a former student and threatening to circulate objectionable videos of her, PTI reported.
The court said WhatsApp chats between the accused and the complainant indicated coercion and intimidation rather than merely a past consensual relationship. It also cited the risk of threats to the complainant and tampering with electronic evidence.
Additional Sessions Judge Gomati Manocha said, "In case the accused is granted anticipatory bail, there is a substantial risk of influencing or threatening the victim, risk of tampering with the electronic evidence and possibility of repetition of threats or coercive contact."
The woman alleged that the accused, a former Delhi University professor, sexually exploited her several times on the false promise of marriage and threatened to circulate objectionable videos of her if she did not comply with his demands. According to PTI, she also alleged that he had sexual relations with her after administering a substance that left her incapacitated and recorded objectionable videos without her consent.
The accused denied the allegations and claimed they had been in a consensual relationship for more than three years. His counsel argued that the first information report was filed in retaliation for a separate case registered after an alleged assault on him in July.
Rejecting his plea, the court said the exchange of affectionate and sexual messages did not conclusively establish free and informed consent to every alleged sexual act. It added that the accused's position as the complainant's teacher was relevant while assessing a possible power imbalance, coercion and intimidation.
The court said the alleged creation of objectionable recordings and threats to circulate them raised concerns about possible witness tampering and continued pressure on the complainant. It also noted that custodial questioning might be required to collect electronic evidence linked to the storage and transmission of the videos.
In its October 12 order, the court directed that the investigation be assigned to a named senior police officer to ensure a fair inquiry and preserve electronic evidence. "This court considers it necessary, in the interest of justice, that the investigation be assigned to a named senior officer so that proper investigation can be done to obtain and preserve original mobile phones... to ensure fairness to both the victim and the accused," it said.
The investigating officer was directed to preserve the original mobile phones, complete WhatsApp chats, metadata, cloud backups and forensic images. The court also asked the officer to examine allegations that the accused or his associates were pressuring the complainant not to pursue the case and to record statements from people aware of such pressure, PTI reported.
"The investigating officer shall also examine the allegation that the accused or his associates are pressurising the prosecutrix not to pursue the case and shall record statements of the persons having knowledge of such pressure," the judge said.
The Delhi Commissioner of Police was asked to take the necessary action and submit a report to the jurisdictional magistrate within 15 days on assigning the investigation to a named senior officer. The court ultimately refused anticipatory bail, citing concerns over threats, coercive contact, pressure on the complainant and possible tampering with electronic evidence.
- Ends