The Delhi High Court has issued an order for the deportation of an Afghan national who was previously arrested on charges of financial and sexual exploitation. The individual had been accused of defrauding and assaulting a US citizen under the pretense of a forthcoming marriage. This decision came after a settlement was reached between the parties involved and due to the prolonged delay in trial proceedings.
Justice Vikas Mahajan presided over the case and opted to quash the FIR, citing mutual agreement to the settlement and recognizing the excessive time the accused had already spent in custody—over seven years—without trial. The court highlighted the constitutional right to a speedy trial applies to foreigners and citizens alike.
The Afghan man, whose identity has been kept confidential, initially befriended the complainant between 2016 and 2017. According to the investigation led by advocate Manoj Taneja, the accused had masqueraded under a false identity and deceitfully extracted approximately $90,000 from the woman over various instances.*
Further inquiries revealed that not only was he already married, but he had also engaged in similar fraudulent activities with other women. Despite the serious nature of the allegations, including rape and cheating under the Indian Penal Code, the Foreigners Act, and the Information Technology Act, the complainant chose to discontinue her support for the prosecution, leading to dim prospects for a successful conviction.
