Priest acquitted of rape

Fiji Broadcasting Corporation
August 19, 2015

http://www.fbc.com.fj/fiji/32199/priest-acquitted-of-rape-

Jagdish Sharma with his lawyer outside court

A fifty four year old priest of Lautoka has been acquitted of rape by the Lautoka High Court.

It was alleged that in 2011 at Balevuto in Ba, Jagdish Sharma allegedly raped the complaint after entering her home through a window one evening before making her drink beer.

During the cross examination, the complainant admitted consenting to sex and stated she only reported the matter out of anger.

The complainant also admitted that she knew the accused from childhood and they have been friends for many years since they were born in the same village.

Sharma’s lawyer Jitendra Reddy then filed a submission for a no case to answer.

Judge Justice Priyantha Fernando ruled in his favour, adding there was no evidence presented by the prosecutors and that the complainant had admitted consenting to having sex, thus there was no case to answer.