A Thane court acquitted a rickshaw driver accused under the POCSO Act for allegedly outraging a 17-year-old girl’s modesty. The court ruled due to lack of sufficient evidence.
Thane: Today, On May 26, A special POCSO court in Thane has recently acquitted a 39-year-old rickshaw driver, Mohanlal Gupta, who was accused of outraging the modesty of a 17-year-old girl studying in Class XII.
The court gave its judgment, clearing Gupta of all charges filed against him under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, and Section 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which relates to sexual harassment of a child.
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The case goes back to an incident that allegedly took place on February 26, 2018.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed based on the complaint of the 17-year-old girl, she had hired Gupta’s rickshaw for a ride.
As she was paying the fare after the ride ended, she claimed that Gupta was touching his private parts through his unzipped pants.
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This led to the complaint being lodged and Gupta being booked under the relevant sections of IPC and POCSO.
The judgment reflects the importance of proper investigation and solid proof in such sensitive cases, especially when they involve the POCSO Act.
This case highlights the seriousness with which allegations under the POCSO Act are treated, but it also shows that the justice system works to ensure that no person is wrongly punished without proper evidence.
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The decision of the court was made after examining all the facts and statements provided by both the complainant and the accused.
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