Goa rape: Accused withdraws bail plea after court raps him

Goa politician John Fernandes,prime accused in the rape case of a Russian tourist at Colva Beach on December 1,on Monday withdrew...

Goa politician John Fernandes,prime accused in the rape case of a Russian tourist at Colva Beach on December 1,on Monday withdrew his anticipatory bail application after a Supreme Court Bench,led by Justice Dalveer Bhandari,grilled him over his plea.

What motive should a Russian girl have to file a rape complaint against a high-profile politician, asked the court,to which the accused had no convincing answer.

Imagine,a foreigner comes to Goa. She files a complaint and one with graphic description of the crime committed against her. She must have been pushed to the wall, the Bench observed.

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Fernandes lawyer,advocate U U Lalit,began his argument by describing the Russian girl as a lady well-versed in life,but failed to impress the court. He argued that the trial court had at first granted Fernandes bail because the medical examination of the alleged victim did not prove rape. The Bombay High Court had on December 15 cancelled the anticipatory bail against arrest granted to the politician by the Sessions Court on December 8.

The SC Bench was not convinced with the bail plea and showed it when it asked counsel Lalit to explain the 12 to 13 injuries on the girls body.

Fernandes defence went a few notches down in the eyes of the court when the counsel tried to justify that the injuries were on the thighs and not parts covered by clothes.

Just because she is Russian you say there are no clothes to cover the thighs, an irate court asked. You may find it difficult to even read (the complaint of the victim describing the crime)… In a case like this,is he (Fernandes) justified to get bail? You have done your best Mr Lalit, the court told the lawyer,who then decided to withdraw the bail plea.