Thane Court Clears Alleged Rapist: A Case in Doubt

A Thane court has acquitted a man of rape charges from 2007 due to lack of evidence and untraceable parties. The court found no substantial proof of the minor's age or the rape incident. Hence, the trial was deemed without purpose, discharging the accused.

In a significant judicial decision, a Thane court has acquitted a 40-year-old accused of raping a minor girl in 2007, citing insufficient evidence and untraceable parties involved. The judgment was delivered by Additional Sessions Judge Amit M Shete on November 26.

The court criticized the prosecution for failing to present conclusive evidence against the accused. The case, which dates back to an incident in Vartak Nagar, Thane, involved allegations of the accused assaulting a 14-year-old neighbor, who was found unconscious and later hospitalized.

Judge Shete pointed out the lack of material to confirm the alleged victim's age and the absence of both the accused and witnesses. Concluding that keeping the trial pending served no purpose, the judge discharged the accused, leaving questions of judicial evidence and case management in focus.

(With inputs from agencies.)