Sessions court refuses to discharge SoBo bizman

A sessions court has refused to discharge a south Mumbai businessman, Padmakar Nandekar, a member of the Cuffe Parade Residents Association, who has been booked on the complaint of a Brazilian student for rape.

- Charul Shah Joshi

The court refused to accept the defence that the two were in a consensual relationship and said that the girl, being a foreign national, was more open in her expression and behaviour, but "that however cannot take place of consent".

While refusing to discharge Nandekar, the court observed: "It needs to be considered that the victim was a responsibility of the accused, he being the local host. The accused was in a fiduciary relationship with the victim as her guardian in India. Such degree of expected relationship enhances the gravity of the offence."

As per the prosecution case, the Brazilian girl was selected under a Students Cultural Exchange Programme in 2016. Nandekar was selected as her guardian in India. His daughter lives with a family in Spain under a similar exchange programme.