The Special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Court in Borivali of Maharashtra's Mumbai district on Friday ordered police to take legal action against two prime witnesses in a rape case. The victim of the case and her mother are the two prime witnesses.
In March 2019, the victim (female player) and her mother had filed a rape case against a player at the time when she was a minor (17 years and 8 months). An FIR under sections 376 of IPC and Section 5 and 6 of the POCSO Act was filed for the alleged offence after the victim's mother found that she was 24 weeks pregnant.
During the trial in 2021, both the prime witnesses (victim and the mother) turned hostile while deposing before a Special POCSO court under oath. Both had refused to accept that they filed an FIR with those contents at all.
The court was informed that after the FIR was filed, the accused has married the victim in October 2019 and that this might be the reason that the witnesses turned hostile.
The Special Court then acquitted the accused of all charges, but directed the prosecution to take legal action against the prime witnesses of the case; Complainant/ Victim in the FIR and her mother.
( With inputs from ANI )
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