Thane court acquits man booked in POCSO case

The duo were on their way to Lucknow but changed their minds and returned to Mumbai, where the police detained them.As the accused had physical relations with the victim by promising to marry her, an offence under sections 363 kidnapping, 3762in repeated rape on same woman of the IPC and provisions of the POCSO Act was registered against the man, the prosecution said.The judge, in his order, noted that the girl had gone with the accused on her own wish and admitted that she married him and had no grievance against him.

A court in Maharashtra's Thane district has acquitted a man who was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for kidnapping and establishing physical relations with a 16-year-old girl. Special POCSO judge D S Deshmukh held that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against the 31-year-old accused, and he needs to be given the benefit of the doubt.

A copy of the order passed on February 1 was made available on Monday.

The court was informed that during the pendency of the trial, the duo had married and were parents to three children.

The prosecution informed the court that the accused and the victim, who was 16 at the time, eloped on November 14, 2016, following which a complaint of kidnapping was lodged with the police. The duo were on their way to Lucknow but changed their minds and returned to Mumbai, where the police detained them.

As the accused had physical relations with the victim by promising to marry her, an offence under sections 363 (kidnapping), 376(2)(i)(n) (repeated rape on same woman) of the IPC and provisions of the POCSO Act was registered against the man, the prosecution said.

The judge, in his order, noted that the girl had gone with the accused on her own wish and admitted that she married him and had no grievance against him. Both the prime witnesses have not supported the prosecution's story, the court held while acquitting the accused.