Court acquits man in sexual harassment case

A Delhi court has acquitted a man, accused of sexually harassing a 17-year-old girl, saying it was a motivated case but could not punish the minor for false evidence due to protection granted to her under new law.
The court noted that the girl had said in her testimony that she had implicated the man in the rape case at the behest of her cousin who wanted to settle his score with the accused.
It also said the false and motivated case has played with the freedom of the man, a resident of Kirti Nagar here.
"At the cost of repetition, in view of the testimony of PW1 (girl) and her mother, the whole case of the prosecution falls flat. Unfortunate as it may appear this false and motivated case has played with the personal liberty and freedom of the accused who remained in judicial custody...

"The complainant/girl child cannot now be prosecuted for giving false evidence in view of section 21 of the POCSO Act," Additional Sessions Judge Dharmesh Sharma.
As per Section 21 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, any person who fails to report commission of a sexual offence with a child shall be punished but this provision will not apply to a minor.
An FIR was lodged at Sarojini Nagar Police station on the complaint of the minor girl who had alleged that the man was contacting her on phone and to teach him a lesson, she had called him at INA Metro Station where he misbehaved with her.

She had alleged that the man started sexually harassing her and he was apprehended when she raised an alarm.