5 years on, Kalyan court acquits man held in Pocso case, cites lack of evidence, lapses in police investigation

Kalyan: After spending five years in jail, a 28-year-old technician has been acquitted by a Kalyan sessions court in a sexual assault case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Special POCSO judge V. N. Patrawale ordered the release of Altaf Khan, citing lack of credible evidence and serious lapses in the police investigation.The case dates back to 2020, when Khan's family had a dispute with a neighbour over property rent. Soon after, the neighbour's wife lodged a complaint at Mahatma Phule police station, alleging Khan had lured her minor daughter to his house and sexually assaulted her. Based on the complaint, Khan was arrested and later charge-sheeted.However, during the trial, key contradictions surfaced. The victim failed to identify Khan in court, and a medical officer testified that the complaint was actually filed by the girl's mother, not the child herself. The court also noted that Khan was not even present in the locality on the day of the alleged incident. Khan's lawyer, advocate Ganesh Gholap said "My client lost five crucial years of his life because of a false allegation and flawed investigation. Both bail pleas were rejected, forcing him to remain behind bars until acquittal. The court has now exposed the inconsistencies in the evidence and declared him innocent," Gholap told reporters.Khan, who worked as an elevator technician, had no prior criminal record. His defence maintained from the start that the sexual assault case was the fallout of a personal dispute between the families.