Mumbai POCSO Court Acquits Noorbaug Teacher In 2017 Minor Assault Case After Finding Contradictions In Testimony

In a recent decision, the Mumbai POCSO court acquitted a 44-year-old teacher from Noorbaug who was accused of sexually assaulting a minor student in October 2017. The court dismissed the case after finding several inconsistencies and discrepancies in the testimony of the victim girl.

According to the case lodged with the JJ Marg police station, the victim's daughter, aged 16 at the time, had joined the coaching classes run by the accused in July 2017 to prepare for her examinations. On October 21, 2017, the girl attended the tuition classes around 2:45 pm, and her mother and a friend were called by the accused to attend special classes. After returning, the girl revealed to her sister that the teacher had molested her. Consequently, the family filed a complaint against the teacher.

During the trial, the defense highlighted several contradictions in the victim's statements to the police and later during her testimony. The defense noted inconsistencies such as the time gap between the incident and the girl's return home, which reportedly occurred after 5 pm. Additionally, the defense pointed out that CCTV footage collected by the police did not support the prosecution's case.

The court also questioned why the victim had stayed in the class until 5 pm despite her mother being informed immediately about the incident.

The accused teacher claimed that the victim's tuition fees were unpaid and that he demanded payment, as the incident occurred after the month of September 2017 when the fees were due. He also mentioned that the girl had been sent back to her home twice due to non-payment. The defense asserted that these issues were admitted by the victim during cross-examination. Furthermore, the defense noted that her other cousins continued to attend the classes conducted by the accused.

Ultimately, the court acquitted the teacher, citing significant contradictions and omissions in the victim's and her mother's evidence. The court also noted a two-day delay in lodging the First Information Report (FIR), which was not adequately explained.