A special court in Thane acquitted three women accused of trafficking due to insufficient evidence and failure to examine key witnesses, highlighting the challenges in prosecuting trafficking cases.
Key Points
- Thane court acquits three women accused of trafficking girls for prostitution.
- The prosecution failed to examine the key decoy customer and the minor girls involved.
- Lack of independent witness testimony and unreliable evidence led to the acquittal.
- The court found the informant's testimony to be hearsay and declined to rely solely on the decoy customer's evidence.
A special court in Maharashtra's Thane has acquitted three women accused of trafficking girls for prostitution after the prosecution failed to examine the key decoy customer and the minors.
Key Witness Absence Leads to Acquittal
A copy of the order dated May 29 was made available on Sunday.
Special Judge (POCSO) S P Agarwal acquitted Sharminbanu, alias Zeenat Yunus Siddhiqui (36), Rizwana Javed Khan (27), and Afsana, alias Muskan Anis Shaikh (25), who were charged under the Indian Penal Code, the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (PITA), and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Details of the Alleged Trafficking Racket
The prosecution alleged that police exposed a prostitution racket being operated from a flat in Mumbra near Thane after a decoy customer was sent to the spot. He was found with a 17-year-old girl, who had been allegedly pushed into prostitution, when the police arrived.
More minor girls were rescued from the flat, the prosecution said, adding that three women were named in the FIR for their alleged involvement in the illegal activity.
Court Cites Lack of Evidence
However, none of the independent witnesses, the girls, or the decoy customer testified during the trial, noted the court. Pointing to the testimony of the informant, the court termed it "hearsay in nature".
The judge declined to rely only on the evidence of the decoy customer. The court further noted that the Call Detail Record (CDR) lacked exact locations and no chemical was applied to the "seized trap money".
Concluding that the prosecution had "failed to prove the allegations against all accused", the judge acquitted them.
