India, April 1 -- The Bombay High Court has granted bail to a 36-year-old man accused of raping an 18-year-old mentally ill girl from Thane, noting material inconsistencies in the victim's statements and the evidence on record.

A single bench of justice RM Joshi, during the hearing on March 25, observed that the statement recorded before the magistrate did not appear to have been made by the victim herself, but by a witness who had informed the victim's mother about the alleged incident. The court also referred to a psychiatrist's counselling note, which stated that this was "not a case of sexual intercourse being done with the victim", highlighting inconsistencies in the prosecution's case.

According to the prosecution, the victim's mo...