Thane: Teen eloped willingly, says court while acquitting accused of kidnapping and rape of a 17-year-old girl

A special court in Thane acquitted a man accused of kidnapping and raping a 17-year-old girl, ruling that she had eloped willingly and was mature enough to understand her actions

A special court in Maharashtra’s Thane district has acquitted a man accused of kidnapping and raping a 17-year-old girl, ruling that she had willingly eloped with him and was mature enough to understand the consequences of her actions, according to PTI reports.

As per PTI, Special Judge D S Deshmukh stated that the prosecution failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt, and therefore, the accused must be given the benefit of the doubt. He was acquitted of all charges under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

A copy of the court’s order, passed on 4th February, became available on Monday.

According to PTI reports, the case was initiated after the girl’s mother lodged a missing person complaint when her daughter disappeared from home on 6th July 2023. A week later, on 13th July, the girl contacted her mother, expressing her wish to return home but claimed that the accused was preventing her from doing so. Following this, the police intervened and brought both the girl and the accused back to Kalwa from Sangli.

The prosecution alleged that the accused, who was the girl's neighbour, had persuaded her to send him money and then convinced her to leave home with him. He allegedly took her to Sangli, where he was accused of sexually assaulting her multiple times against her will. The man was arrested following the allegations and later released on bail, as per PTI reports.

During the trial, the girl’s testimony played a significant role in weakening the prosecution’s case. As per PTI, in her cross-examination, she admitted to having left home voluntarily with the accused and stated that she had no grievances against him.

The court also noted that she later married the accused after turning 18, further supporting the defence’s version of events. Judge Deshmukh highlighted that the girl was 17 years and 9 months old at the time of her elopement, an age where she was deemed mature enough to understand the consequences of her actions.

Since her testimony aligned with the accused’s claims and there was no concrete evidence proving coercion or force, the court concluded that the prosecution's arguments lacked substantial proof. Consequently, the judge ruled in favour of acquittal, clearing the accused of all charges.

(With inputs from PTI) 

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