New Delhi: A 55-year-old Muslim man named Shafiq Ansari has been acquitted of rape charges by a court in Madhya Pradesh, four years after being jailed and having his house demolished following allegations by a woman.

According to a statement by Kashmir Media Service, the court found that the woman had accused Ansari of rape as retaliation for her house being demolished based on his complaint. The court noted the prosecution’s failure to establish that Ansari had wrongfully confined the woman and committed rape on February 4, 2021. Judge Chitrendra Singh Solanki delivered the judgment on February 14, acquitting Ansari under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, along with two other men, Iqbal and Mohammad Ehasan, who faced different charges.

In March 2021, Ansari, then a councillor from the Sarangpur area in Rajgarh district, was arrested along with his son and brother for allegedly obstructing officials. Authorities demolished his house in March 2022, claiming it was built without legal compliance.

Ansari spent three months in jail before being granted bail by the Indore High Court. He expressed that the false allegations and house demolition severely damaged his reputation and caused significant distress for his family, rendering them homeless.

Despite these challenges, Ansari received substantial support from the local community, which was aware of the false nature of the allegations. This support was evident when his wife won a councillor position in the municipal elections in July 2022. Ansari stated that the election victory showed that people believed in his innocence, which encouraged him and his family.