DEHRADUN: A fast-track court in Dehradun has acquitted three men who spent four years in jail on rape charges under the POCSO Act, ruling that the case was fabricated. The court found that the 19-year-old woman was in a consensual relationship with one of the accused and had falsely accused him after he refused to divorce his wife.
Court Cites Lack of Evidence, Orders Immediate Release
The court exonerated Khurshid Ahmed, Sattar Khan, and Mohd Shahid on Friday, stating that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. It noted that the woman was aware of Khurshid’s marital status and three children yet continued the relationship, eventually giving birth to a child in November 2020.
When Khurshid refused to divorce his wife, the woman’s mother and sister filed a false rape complaint against him and implicated his two friends, Sattar and Shahid, to pressure him. After reviewing the evidence, the court acquitted all three men and ordered the Dehradun jail superintendent to release them immediately.
