New Delhi: A man, who was accused of sexually assaulting his two minor daughters, has been acquitted by a Delhi court which said that the girls did not support the case of the prosecution.
While acquitting the man, a resident of north east Delhi, Additional Sessions Judge P S Malik held that the statements of both the victims "completely exonerate" him of the offences.
"As per prosecution version, only the victims were the witnesses but they both have not supported the prosecution case.
"Keeping in view the facts and circumstances of this case, the accused is acquitted of the charges levelled against him as they remain unproved," the judge said.
According to the prosecution, the two minor girls on August 9, 2013 lodged a complaint at Karawal Nagar Police Station against their father alleging that he had sexually assaulted them. They were accompanied by their mother.
The case was registered on the statement of their mother, who had "rescued" them that day.
The man was charged with the offence of aggravated penetrative sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act which entails a minimum of ten years jail and maximum of life term.
The two minors and their mother, however, changed their statements in the court by saying that a quarrel had broken out between the girls and their father.
When the father tried to beat them up, both the girls ran out of the house and lodged a complaint against him at the instance of an NGO worker, they said adding that, they were not sexually assaulted by the man.
The court relied on the statements of the minors saying, "...No other amount of evidence can prove the guilt of the accused as stated in the prosecution story. Therefore, this court does not deem it necessary to ask for the recording of statements of the remaining prosecution witnesses".
