The Calcutta high court on Friday quashed all criminal charges, including the charge sheet filed by the police, against 2006 Asian Games gold medallist athlete Pinki Pramanik.
Justice Subrata Talukdar ordered that all charges framed against Prinki be dropped.
Pinki was accused in 2012 by her live-in partner Anamika Acharya of being a male who raped her. She had been arrested and kept in custody for 25 days and forced to undergo a sex verification test to determine her gender. Pinki appealed to the high court in 2013.
She was charged under sections 376 (rape), 417 (impersonation), 420 (cheating), 325 (assault) and 506 (intimidation), 493 (cohabitation caused by a man deceitfully inducing a belief of a lawful marriage).
A medical report submitted by cops in a court after investigation classified Pinki as male.
Pinki won gold in the 4x400 metres relay at the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar's capital Doha. She was a silver medallist at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games the same year.
Relieved at the High Court's order to drop rape charges against her, Pinki sought justice and said the complainant should be punished for tarnishing her image.
"Now that I've been proved innocent I want to know what punishment should be given to the woman who dragged me into all this," Pinki, who is employed in the Eastern Railway Sealdah, said.
The former middle distance runner was accused by her live-in partner Anamika Acharya of being a male and raping her that led to Pinki's arrest on June 14, 2012 and an order for medical examination to confirm the gender was issued.
"It was really humiliating to go from one hospital to another for the (sex determination) test with all media attention. It has tarnished my reputation. Many a time, people would taunt at me."
"But all the way, I had firm belief on the law and ignored what people said. I knew I was innocent. The day has finally come. The judgement is a reply to all those who had pointed fingers at me," she said.
She also thanked her well wishers who stood by her during this period.
"Now I think the time has come to return to the track again," the champion athlete added.
(With PTI inputs)
Comments
0 comment