An Indian Air Force personnel in Kanpur has been acquitted of molestation charges after his sister-in-law revealed her initial complaint was based on a dream, leading to the dismissal of the case.
Key Points
- An Indian Air Force personnel was acquitted of molestation charges after his sister-in-law testified the incident was a dream.
- The complainant, a minor at the time of the alleged incident, initially filed a complaint in 2019.
- During the trial, the complainant, her father, and her sister (the accused's wife) stated the complaint was filed due to a misunderstanding.
- The special court acquitted the accused, citing the prosecution's failure to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
- The acquitted Air Force personnel reported suffering mental stress, damage to his reputation, and career setbacks due to the case.
A special court in Kanpur has acquitted an Indian Air Force personnel accused of molesting his minor sister-in-law after the complainant revealed that the alleged incident was only a dream and her raising an alarm was a misunderstanding, officials said.
The case was registered at the Naubasta Police Station on August 3, 2019, based on a complaint by a 15-year-old girl who alleged that her brother-in-law, Anurag Shukla, had molested her earlier that year while she was asleep.
According to the first information report (FIR), the alleged incident took place on the night of March 8, 2019, when the girl was staying at her sister-in-law's house in Khadepur under Naubasta police station limits.
The Trial and Testimony
During the trial, however, the girl told the court that she had been on antibiotics and was in a semi-conscious state that night and had 'felt in a dream' that Shukla had grabbed and molested her, following which she woke up frightened and raised an alarm, defence counsel Karim Ahmad Siddiqui told PTI on Tuesday.
Her father, Vijay Tiwari, and elder sister, Shivani Tiwari, who is married to Shukla, also told the court that the complaint had been filed under a misunderstanding.
Shukla had married Shivani Tiwari on February 10, 2019. At the time of the alleged incident, he was living in Khadepur and has since shifted to Bithoor.
Speaking to PTI, Shukla said he was arrested on September 29, 2019, and spent 19 days in jail before being granted bail on October 17 that year.
A chargesheet was subsequently filed, and the special court framed charges in November 2019 under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, including molestation and sexual assault of a minor.
During the trial, the complainant retracted her earlier allegations.
The Court's Decision
Taking note of her testimony and statements of family members acknowledging the misunderstanding, the special court presided over by Judge Rashmi Singh acquitted Shukla of all charges on March 7, holding that the prosecution had failed to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Shukla told PTI that the case caused him severe mental stress and harmed his social reputation and career prospects.
He claimed he could not secure a promotion to the rank of corporal in the IAF in 2020 and continues to serve as a leading aircraftman.
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