A special court that deals with cases of sexual crimes against children acquitted a 24-year-old youth accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in 2018, stating that the victim is a girl of modern era and that her evidence shows she was in a love relationship with the accused.
The youth had been booked by the police after she had lived with him for over 10 days at his home. The girl’s father, the complainant in the case, had alleged that she had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted by the accused. The victim in her testimony before the court had negated the allegations of her father. She had told in her deposition that while she had lived in the youth’s home, he had not forced himself on her and that she was at present living with him.
The special court designated with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act said in its order that the evidence of the victim clearly shows that she was in a love relationship with the accused. “The victim in the present case is a girl of the modern era,” Judge Seema Jadhav said, adding that it appears that she has sufficient understanding and maturity to fathom the consequences of her acts. “She is firm on her decision with regard to her relations with the accused,” the court noted.
It said that she voluntarily left the house of her maternal aunt where she was staying and joined his company. “Despite having tons of opportunities to extricate herself from the clutches of the accused, she continued to be in his company,” it stated, noting that even at present she is residing with him.
The youth had been on bail. The court said he is entitled to be acquitted on the benefit of the doubt.
