Gauhati High Court acquits 2 men in sexual assault case
India
The Gauhati High Court has acquitted two men who were sentenced to 20 years for allegedly sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl.
The judges said the survivor's use of "bad deeds" was too vague to prove guilt, and there just wasn't enough clear evidence to convict them.
Court cited FIR and statement delays
This case started in July 2020 when the girl's father accused the men of harassing his daughter for two years.
The defense argued that the trial court relied mostly on her testimony, but the High Court found inconsistencies in the survivor's evidence, like a nine-day gap before filing the FIR and an 11-day wait to record her statement.
Because of these issues and the lack of solid proof, the court gave both men the benefit of the doubt.