BANGALORE: The High Court on Wednesday set aside a lower court order, which sentenced a man to ten years rigorous imprisonment on charges of rape by rejecting a DNA sample report.SG Manjunath, an assistant director land reforms, was facing charges of rape from the complainant Sudha (name changed).The latter had accused him of having an illicit relationship with her and later promising to marry her, only to backtrack on learning that she was five months into her pregnancy.Sudha subsequently lodged a complaint of cheating and sexual assault against Manjunath on August 1, 2003. Manjunath was produced before the Mandya court where he vehemently denied the charges levelled against him.The lower court judge ordered that a DNA test be conducted on the child, its mother and the man.Though the DNA test revealed that Manjunath was not the father of the child, the court refused to accept it and suspecting manipulation, sentenced Manjunath to ten years rigorous imprisonment.Manjunath appealed before the High Court challenging the order.When the matter came up for hearing, counsel for the petitioner, C V Nagesh, referred to the DNA report findings, while asserting that the order of the lower court order was unfair.Justice A S Pacchapure, who heard the matter, set aside the conviction order.
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