Thane court acquits three persons in 2015 rape, trafficking case

A special court in Maharashtra`s Thane district has acquitted three persons booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in a rape and human trafficking case, citing discrepancies in the victim`s testimony, reported PTI.

Special judge D S Deshmukh acquitted Radhika alias Muskan Vinod Jadhav, Sanjeev alias Bunty Dhruv Varma, and absconding prime accused Pravin Omprakash Mishra of charges of kidnapping, rape, and trafficking, reported PTI.

A copy of the order dated May 9 was made available on Friday.

The trio was booked in the case in 2015 under the Indian Penal Code, POCSO Act and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (PITA).

According to the prosecution, Mishra had sexually assaulted a minor girl in August 2015 and later left her with Jadhav, who allegedly forced her into prostitution, and the crime involved Varma.

Judge Deshmukh noted a crucial discrepancy regarding the victim`s age and stated that she was not a minor at the time of the incident, reported PTI.

The victim`s testimony directly contradicted the prosecution`s claims.

The judge observed that the victim`s testimony indicated that she went with absconded accused Pravin Mishra and married him.

The victim had given birth to a baby following her relationship with Mishra, and she denied being forced into prostitution, the Thane court noted, reported PTI.

The victim`s father also failed to support the prosecution`s core allegations, stating his daughter was above 18 at the time and not corroborating claims of enticement or forced prostitution.

(With inputs from PTI)

This article first appeared on Mid Day