Noida: A special Pocso court has acquitted an NGO founder after the complainant said he had only scolded her and denied the sexual harassment allegation made in an FIR three years ago.A 17-year-old girl who volunteered at the nonprofit organisation had filed a complaint at Sector 20 police station in 2023. She told the cops that on March 13 that year, the NGO founder had misbehaved with her and forcibly kissed her in his chamber. A case was registered against him under section 354A (sexual harassment) of IPC and 7/8 of Pocso Act. A medical test of the girl was conducted, and after an investigation, the police filed a chargesheet on June 13. On Jan 19 the following year, the court framed the charges, which the NGO founder denied, and he sought a trial.The prosecution presented the girl, her father and the person who wrote down the FIR as its witnesses. The girl denied the allegation of sexual harassment and said that the NGO’s founder scolded her often. He forced her to do a lot of office work. When she complained about it to her mother, she was taken to the police station to file a complaint.She told the court that she had not recorded any statement at the police station. However, when confronted with the statement recorded before the magistrate, the minor said that she was guided by the woman constable to record a statement.Her father also denied the complaints made in the FIR and said his daughter used to volunteer with the NGO that taught children from economically weaker sections. She was paid a stipend for it. He said there had been an altercation between his daughter and the NGO founder, after which the complaint was filed. The prosecution declared both of them hostile.The court decided to determine the age of the girl first and noted from school records that her date of birth was June 30, 2005. The judge, however, said that in the absence of any contrary evidence by the defence, the victim was found to be above 18 years of age.“None of the witnesses have supported prosecution story in such a manner that the accused at some time on March 13, 2023, committed offence of sexual harassment with the girl and also committed offence of sexual assault on her. In these circumstances, this court cannot hold with certainty that the accused is guilty of the charged offences,” judge Abhishek Pandey held.
