Delhi court acquits two men in 2016 sexual harassment case

New Delhi, Oct 17 (PTI) Over eight years after two men were accused of sexually harassing a woman, besides criminally intimidating her, a court here has acquitted them, saying the prosecution "miserably failed to prove the charges".
     Additional Sessions Judge Vandana Jain was hearing the case against Mohammed Vasim and Bobby who were booked by the Bindapur Police Station in southwest Delhi under section 354 A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
     Vasim was also booked under sections 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC.
     According to the prosecution, the duo had sexually harassed the complainant Chandra when she, along with her neighbours, was going to her mother's house on the night of January 3, 2016.
     A scuffle broke out between Vasim and Chandra after he passed a lewd comment at her. The accused then allegedly pointed a revolver at the woman to threaten her, the prosecution said.
     In its order dated October 1, the court said the case hinged upon the testimonies of Chandra, Monika, and Soni.
     However, the complainant did not support the prosecution's case and became "completely hostile", while Monika did not say anything incriminating against the duo, the bench noted.
     Regarding the third eyewitness Soni, the court said that her testimony had to be discarded as it was not found reliable and consistent.
     "None of the three prosecution witnesses could prove the guilt... The prosecution has miserably failed to prove the charges against the accused persons beyond a reasonable doubt," the court said acquitting the duo.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)