CHANDIGARH: The Chandigarh district court acquitted one in sexual harassment case of a minor. The court acquitted the accused under section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the IPC and section 8 (punishment for sexual assault ) of POCSO Act.The complainant in the matter was declared hostile and this led to acquittal of the accused.The matter dates back to October 4, 2018, when the complainant moved reported the matter. The complainant was studying in Class X and as per her compliant, it was mentioned that the accused had been following her for many days and every time she used to go to school, the accused would harass her. On the said day, the accused blocked her way and forcefully took her to a room. He first slapped her and warned her of not disclosing the matter to anyone or she would have to bear the consequences.The accused sexually assaulted her and warned her of not getting talking to any other boy of the locality. The complainant narrated the entire episode to her mother and filed a case against the accused. The police booked the accused under relevant sections of the IPC.During the trial, the complainant retracted from her statement and was declared hostile which led to his acquittal.A local district court acquitted a man of cheating and robbing charges. The accused robbed a city resident of Rs 20,000 in 2017. The complainant failed to identify the accused in the court which led to his acquital.The accused has been identified as Afroj Alam and he was acquitted of sections 420 (cheating) and 379 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The defence proved in the court that the accused was not the same person.The case dates back to October 16, 2017, when the complainant, Siraj, alleged that he had gone to Sector 19 branch of the Punjab National Bank to deposit Rs 20,000 given to him by his brother-in-law. When he was at the bank, the accused approached him stating that he would fill the bank form for him. However, the accused suddenly took out a knife from his pocket and pointed at Siraj and took him outside the bank. As per the complaint, the accused robbed him of Rs 20,000 and escaped from the spot.Siraj then informed the police and a case was registered against Afroj, who was later arrested. During the trial, the defence counsel argued that Afroj was falsely implicated in the case. The complainant, too, did not identify him in the court. After hearing the arguments, the court acquitted the accused of the charges.

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