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Man Acquitted in POCSO Case Due to Lack of Evidence, Identity Not Established
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News18•26-09-2026, 14:15
Man Acquitted in POCSO Case Due to Lack of Evidence, Identity Not Established
- •A special court in Thane acquitted a 56-year-old man in a sexual assault case involving a five-year-old girl, citing severe lapses by the prosecution.
- •The court highlighted the police's failure to capture a photograph of the accused at the time of his arrest, making it impossible to compare his appearance.
- •The alleged incident occurred on May 23, 2026, in the Rabodi area of Thane, with the prosecution claiming the accused lured the child with chocolates.
- •Special Judge G. T. Pawar acquitted the man, who spent four months in custody, on September 22 of charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and POCSO Act.
- •The victim explicitly denied in court that the accused had assaulted her, stating the police had asked her to depose.
Key Questions Answered
A special court in Thane acquitted the 56-year-old man due to severe prosecution lapses and a total failure to establish his identity. The police failed to capture or affix a photograph of the accused on the arrest form, making it impossible to verify any changes in his appearance.
During the court proceedings via video conference, the five-year-old girl explicitly denied that the accused had assaulted her. She further stated that the police had instructed her to depose against him.
The alleged incident took place on May 23, 2026, in the Rabodi area of Thane. Following his arrest, the man spent four months in custody before Special Judge G. T. Pawar acquitted him on September 22, 2026.
