New Delhi: The Delhi high court recently granted bail and suspended the seven years' sentence awarded to a man for digitally raping an American woman. Hearing the news, the US woman shot a video outside the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, alleging that she was denied assistance there.

The incident dates back to 2013 when a Delhi resident, Rajiv Panwar, sexually assaulted the US national who was staying as a tenant in his house in South Delhi with her husband. She filed a complaint against him on June 2013, and Panwar was convicted of rape by a trial court on February 2019. He was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

Digital rape is termed when someone rapes a person using their finger or fingers.

Panwar challenged the trial court's verdict in the high court which, on July 5, granted him bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 25,000, and said that as the disposal of the appeal may take some time, the substantive sentence of the appellant is suspended during the pendency of the plea.

Upset with the high court's order, the woman shot a video in front of the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, complaining that the man who attacked her in India has been granted bail.

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The court said it finds force in the contention of the woman's counsel and directed that the man shall not leave the NCR without its permission.

It also directed Panwar not to contact or get in touch with the complainant woman in any manner, and if he does so, she or the prosecution may move an appropriate application for the passing of the appropriate and necessary orders in this regard.

An application was also filed on behalf of the woman that she is impleaded as a party in the appeal.

To this, the high court said the state government had launched the proceedings on the complaint of the woman who was not a party before the trial court.

It said the woman was not required to be impleaded as a party in the appeal, but she has a right of audience and hearing and would be heard and granted permission to intervene and assist the prosecutor and this court within the legal parameters during the hearing.