Mumbai: The sessions court has acquitted three transgenders who were booked for theft and dacoity following a complaint by a shopkeeper at JP Road, Versova, in February 2013. The court ruled that there was no corroborative evidence from the prosecution to support the allegations made by the complainant.
According to the FIR registered at Versova police station, the complainant was planning to open a coffee shop, which was under renovation at the time. On February 8, 2013, five transgenders allegedly entered the shop and demanded ‘good luck’ money.
The complainant said he told them he was not the owner and had no money. He alleged that one of them took Rs2,000 from his wallet and left in an auto-rickshaw. Later, a group of six to seven transgenders allegedly returned, demanded Rs 11,000, took his car, drove him to an ATM, forced him to withdraw the amount, and dropped him back before leaving.
During the trial, the prosecution examined only three witnesses – the complainant, the investigating officer, and a panch witness. Despite the incident occurring in broad daylight, no independent witnesses were presented, nor was any CCTV footage submitted as evidence. The lack of corroboration led the court to acquit the accused.
