42-year-old hawker, accused of kidnapping, raping girl in 1997, acquitted

A court in Mumbai has acquitted a 42-year-old hawker, hailing from Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, who had run away with a girl from his neighbourhood in 1997.

A court in Mumbai has acquitted a 42-year-old hawker, hailing from Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, who had run away with a girl from his neighbourhood in 1997.

The girl, along with her family, had gone to see Ramleela in October 1997. Her parents and other siblings were busy watching the Ramleela at the crowded Shivaji Park area in Dadar of Mumbai when the girl had suddenly gone missing.

After two days, the family realised that their neighbor whose residence was right in front of theirs, too had been missing since Ramleela. The girl’s father enquired the neighbour’s friend who told them that the two had gone to Delhi. The girl’s father then registered a case of kidnapping and rape.

In the court, a friend of the accused testified that he knew the accused from school days and that on October 11, 1997, he alongwith accused had gone to Shivaji Park to watch Ramleela. At that time, the victim, who is the girlfriend of the accused, came to Shivaji Park alongwith her family members. He further deposed that the accused alongwith the victim went to Mumbai Central Railway Station and that time he had accompanied them.

According to the witness, the accused and victim went by train. “He specifically admitted that the victim voluntarily accompanied with the accused and he has no interaction with her. He also admitted that he was not knowing the victim,” noted Judge AB Sharma.

The investigating officer too told the court that during his investigation, he found that the accused and victim were having a love affair. “He also admitted that he has not brought on record any document to show that at the relevant time victim was a minor. He candidly admitted that during investigation, the victim nowhere disclosed that any physical relation was established between the accused and herself,” noted Judge Sharma.

Apart from these two witnesses, no other witness was brought to court by prosecution and the judge noted that “it appears that victim went with the accused voluntarily. Hence, the evidence of this witness is not sufficient to prove the guilt of the accused,” noted the judge.