KOCHI: The police were in for a rude shock recently when the victim and her mother, the prime witness in a Pocso (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) case registered here, turned hostile, leading to the accused person’s acquittal.
The police, who had spent over two years collecting evidence for the case, said they never expected that the duo would retract the sexual abuse allegation against the accused, Rahul B, 30, of Tripunithura, in court.
Rahul, who was chargesheeted by the Hill Palace police, was acquitted on December 7 by the additional sessions court in the case registered on October 31, 2018. He had been charged with rape and under the Pocso Act.
“The case went in Rahul’s favour after the survivor even retracted the statement that she had given before a magistrate,” said an officer. As per the complaint, the alleged abuse took place on October 25, 2018. Rahul picked up the victim girl, then aged 14, in his car from Tripunithura while she was on the way to school at 8.45am and allegedly abused her sexually in the vehicle till 2.15pm.
However, at the final hearing, the victim denied any sexual abuse and said she went with Rahul to have tea. She categorically said he did not misbehave with her. Her mother too said she had not given any statement against Rahul.
The prosecution decided not to cross examine other witnesses in the case following this. The judge then said, “The prosecution failed to connect the accused with the alleged offences and therefore, I find him not guilty...He is set at liberty.”