Summary: The Supreme Court has canceled the conviction of Dr. Jayantibhai Chaturbhai Patel, accused of rape, because the evidence was not trustworthy and there were mistakes in the legal process.
In 2001, Dr. Jayantibhai Chaturbhai Patel, a doctor working in Himmatnagar, Gujarat, was accused of raping a patient. The alleged incident happened on May 8, 2001, when the patient visited his clinic for stomach pain treatment. The patient claimed that Dr. Patel forced himself on her during a medical check-up.
The case was first heard in the Sessions Court, where Dr. Patel was found guilty under a section of the Indian Penal Code for rape and was sentenced to six years in prison. Both the patient and her husband, who initially supported the case against Dr. Patel, later changed their statements during the trial, which caused problems with the evidence.
Dr. Patel challenged his conviction, while the State wanted a stricter punishment. On November 28-29, 2016, the Gujarat High Court rejected Dr. Patel's challenge but agreed with the State, increasing his sentence to ten years.
On December 16, 2025, the Supreme Court, led by Justice Vipul M. Pancholi, canceled the High Court's decision. The ruling pointed out several problems:
Unreliable Witnesses: Both the patient and her husband did not support the case during the trial, making their statements untrustworthy.
Medical Evidence: The medical check-up did not support the claims of rape, as there were no signs of physical harm or intercourse.
Mistakes in the Process: The court noted that important witnesses were not questioned, and there were inconsistencies in how evidence, like clothes with semen stains, was handled.
Justice Pancholi stressed that the conviction was based on guesses rather than strong evidence. The court criticized the reliance on unreliable witnesses and unsupported medical evidence. The judgment stated:
"Just because the victim has made accusations in the initial report, it cannot be assumed they are true unless proven with clear evidence."
The Supreme Court canceled the convictions from both the Sessions Court and the High Court, leading to Dr. Patel being found not guilty. Since he was out on bail during the appeal, his bail conditions were removed.
