Bhubaneswar, July 1 -- The Orissa High Court has acquitted a man convicted in a POCSO case, holding that the trial court's judgment was not supported by "trustworthy and reliable evidence" and was therefore unsustainable in law.
"Considering the gravity of the charges and the severe punishment prescribed under the IPC and the POCSO Act, the trial court ought to have exercised greater caution and relied upon credible and reliable evidence before recording a conviction," the court observed.
Allowing the criminal appeal, Justice A.K. Mohapatra set aside the order passed by the Adhoc Additional District and Sessions Judge (FTSC), Jajpur, which had convicted the appellant under Sections 363 (kidnapping), 366 (abduction), and 376(2)(n) (repeate...