Ejaz Ali Khan who had been charged with raping a shop owner three years ago, was yesterday acquitted of the offence by a jury.
After about two hours of deliberations, the 12-member jury returned with its unanimous verdict, finding Khan not guilty.
The indictment against him had stated that on July 28th, 2020 he sexually penetrated the woman without her consent.
The prosecution’s facts had alleged that on the day in question, Khan walked into the woman’s shop and began physically assaulting her—cuffing and slamming her into a grill door.
Prosecutors had said that thereafter, Khan threatened to burn the woman’s house down if she ever reported the matter; and further that he had a gun and would shoot her.
The court had then heard that Khan took the woman into a rear kitchen area, where he raped her.
The virtual complainant had also accused Khan of robbing her of two gold rings and $150,000 from her shop before he left.
He was charged and convicted of the robbery charges and is currently serving a three-year sentence.
Following the announcement of the verdict, Justice Navindra Singh who presided over the trial, informed Khan that he was freed of the sexual offence charge, but would be returning to prison to continue serving his sentence for the robbery charge.
In a brief address before the end of the proceedings, Khan who described prison life as “hard,” said that he does not intend to “make another mistake.”
He added that while he was not attempting to “say anything bad,” he at the same time only wanted to share his experience.
The state was represented by prosecutors Tiffini Lyken, Nafeeza Baig and Praneeta Seeraj.
The trial proceedings were heard in-camera at the Sexual Offences Court of the Demerara High Court.
