The Supreme Court on Monday held a special hearing on Holi to grant anticipatory bail to a Goa restaurateur accused of raping a woman from Delhi besides trying to intimidate and poison her.

The bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and Abdul Nazeer granted the relief after hearing senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi who appeared for the accused, Jude Lobo.

Rohatgi claimed Lobo had been falsely implicated because he had refused to let the woman hold a rave party of more than 50 people in December on the ground of the Covid restrictions.

The woman and the prosecution were not represented. The bench has issued notices to the woman and the investigating agency.

A trial court in Delhi had cancelled Lobo’s anticipatory bail and Delhi High Court had refused to interfere with the matter.

Rohatgi asked why a complaint would be lodged last December for an alleged rape in 2009. He stressed that Lobo was a married man with three children.“We are satisfied that the petitioner has made out a prima facie case for grant of anticipatory bail,” the bench said in its order.

The Supreme Court is on a week’s holiday from March 29 on account of Holi and will reopen on April 5.