MP court acquits bangle-seller booked for sexual harassment after assaulted by mob
Bhopal, Dec 3 (IANS) A district court of Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday acquitted bangle-seller Taslim Ali, who was arrested for sexual harassment and outraging the modesty of a woman in Indore in 2021.
“I had full faith in the Constitution. Truth always triumphs. I thank all those who stood by me during these difficult times,” said Ali after being acquitted of all charges.
Indore district court pronounced its judgement, acquitting Taslim Ali from all charges, including the POCSO Act framed against him. He was already out on bail after a few months of his arrest.
A 25-year-old Taslim Ali, a native of Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act for allegedly touching a 13-year-old girl inappropriately.
Indore Police had then arrested Ali on the basis of a complaint of a minor girl in Indore, accusing him of touching her inappropriately. The girl had also alleged that Ali had introduced himself as Golu.
However, before the police arrested him from Indore’s Banganga area where he put his bangles stall, a mob assaulted him and beat him up brutally. Two Aadhar cards were recovered from his possession which sparked political controversy.
Ali had also filed a complaint at a police station, saying that he was selling bangles when he was abused, threatened and assaulted by hooligans. The mob had also snatched away Rs 10,000 in cash, a mobile phone, the Aadhar card and other documents besides bangles worth over Rs 25,000.
He was arrested by Indore police following the complaint filed by the minor girl and he was charged with offences under Section 354 (outraging woman’s modesty), 354 A (sexual harassment), 467 (forgery), 420 cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation) and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
However, the Madhya Pradesh High Court granted him bail a few months after his arrest, observing that the nature of the accusations did not warrant his continued custody and that he had no prior criminal record.
–IANS
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