Victim's father turns hostile; POCSO court orders inquiry

A special POCSO court acquitted a man of sodomising the 4-year-old son of his neighbour after the victim's parents turned hostile, varying their deposition to the court from what they had told the police.
Taking serious note of the parents turning hostile, the court has ordered action against the victim's father.
Special POCSO Judge H J Joshi acquitted the accused after the boy's parents turned hostile but ordered criminal actions against the victim's father for falsely implicating the accused.
The court asked the registrar to lodge a criminal case against the boy's father after public prosecutor Nilesh Lodha submitted to it that action should be taken against the parents for misusing the provisions of the POCSO Act which led to the jailing of accused Samshul Sheikh.

The parents of the boy made contradictory statements which were different from what they had told the police, based on which an FIR was lodged against Sheikh at Vatva police station on July 28 last year.
Other evidence like medical reports also did not directly support the parents claims that the victim's neighbour Sheikh had taken the boy to his room and committed sodomy.
An FIR was lodged against Sheikh under sections 377 (unnatural intercourse) and other provisions of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act.