Court Acquits Man in High-Profile Sexual Assault Case

A Mumbai court acquitted a 34-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a minor. Though the crime was proven, the court ruled that it could not be established that the accused was the perpetrator. Questions arose regarding the test identification parade and the victim's in-court identification.

A Mumbai court has acquitted a 34-year-old man charged with sexually assaulting a minor. The court acknowledged the crime occurred but stated that the prosecution failed to prove the accused committed the act.

The alleged incident took place in June 2017 in Goregaon, when the minor visited a store near her school. The defendant, already facing similar charges, was cleared of aggravated penetrative sexual assault, rape, kidnapping, and intimidation.

Judge Neeta Anekar highlighted the victim's strong testimony. However, doubts about the test identification parade and the reliability of her in-court identification of the stranger led to the acquittal. The ruling emphasized that while the crime was proven, the accused's involvement wasn't beyond reasonable doubt.