Updated 13:09 IST, February 4th 2025
Thane Court Acquits Man Accused of Sexually Harassing Step-Daughter
A court in Maharashtra's Thane acquitted a man accused of sexually harassing his 14-year-old stepdaughter after she denied the allegations against him.

Thane: A court in Maharashtra's Thane district acquitted a man accused of sexually harassing his 14-year-old stepdaughter after she denied the allegations against him.
Special POCSO judge Ruby U Malvankar acquitted the man of charges under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
A copy of the order passed on January 23 was made available on Tuesday.
The special public prosecutor informed the court that the girl lived with her mother and stepfather in Mira Road.
The girl had alleged that her stepfather touched her inappropriately and showed her obscene videos and the harassment took place between January 2021 and February 2021.
Based on the girl's complaint, a case was registered, and the man was arrested and remained in jail for five months.
The judge noted that both the prime witnesses, the girl and her mother, who could have testified about the alleged misbehaviour and misconduct of the accused, had failed to support the prosecution's case.
The court said the duo had stated that the man would beat the girl, and angered by the beatings, the mother lodged a complaint in which she gave an exaggerated version of the factual circumstances, as she was under the impression that the police would beat him and would release him after two to three days.
The girl, in her testimony, stated that her stepfather would beat her when she committed a mistake and on the relevant day, he had beaten her as he had thought that she was using his mobile phone, and in a fit of anger, the complaint came to be lodged.
She also denied that the man showed her obscene videos and touched her inappropriately.
(This story is not edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed)
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Published 13:09 IST, February 4th 2025