A Shiv Sena union leader has been acquitted by a Mumbai sessions court in a 2015 case involving allegations of insulting a woman hospital staffer, reversing an earlier conviction.
Key Points
- A sessions court acquitted Shiv Sena leader Sunil Chitnis in a 2015 case.
- Chitnis was accused of insulting a woman hospital staffer.
- The court overturned a magistrate's verdict that had found Chitnis guilty.
- The judge stated the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt, leading to the acquittal.
A sessions court here on Tuesday acquitted a municipal union leader affiliated to the Shiv Sena in a 2015 case of allegedly insulting a woman hospital staffer's modesty, overturning a magistrate's verdict that had found him guilty.
Acquitting Sunil Chitnis, the accused, Additional Sessions Judge S S Adkar held that the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.
Background of the Insult Case
The incident dated back to July 3, 2015.
The complainant worked as a matron at a civic-run hospital in Mumbai.
As per the prosecution, the medical superintendent had called a meeting to address complaints received against her.
An argument broke out at the meeting when Chitnis questioned the woman's job performance. She claimed that afterwards, Chitnis approached her in a hospital passage and uttered a highly offensive and sexually explicit remark.
Legal Proceedings and Judgement
In May 2022, a magistrate's court convicted Chitnis under section 509 of the Indian Penal Code (acts, gestures, words, or objects intended to insult the modesty of a woman). He then filed an appeal.
The sessions judge held in his ruling that "it is clear that the prosecution has failed to prove that the accused has committed the offence with which he is charged".
"From the evidence on the record, the possibility of false implication of the accused cannot be ruled out," the court said.
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