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| Court acquits accused in abduction case as star witness retracts | | | 
Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 26: The Fast-Track Court Jammu on Tuesday acquitted Iqbal Choudhary alias Adil Choudhary in the 2019 alleged abduction and molestation case after the prosecutrix withdrew her earlier allegations and multiple prosecution witnesses failed to support the charges.
The case originated from FIR No. 59/2019 registered at Police Station Bagh-e-Bahu on the basis of a complaint lodged by the mother of the 18-year-old girl, who alleged that the accused had forcibly taken her from Har-Ki-Pauri, driven her to a hotel, made her consume alcohol and attempted to sexually assault her.
During investigation, police invoked sections 366, 376, 511 and 354 of the RPC. The court later discharged the accused of rape-related charges and framed trial only for abduction and outraging of modesty.
During her deposition before the court, the prosecutrix declared that she had voluntarily accompanied the accused, had known him previously and that he had dropped her at her aunt’s residence the same night. She denied that he had misbehaved with her and claimed that her earlier statement under Section 164-A CrPC was made under pressure from her parents. She was declared hostile during trial.
The medical record did not support the allegation of injury, and the three witnesses cited as eye-witnesses did not testify against the accused. The court also noted that the investigating officer failed to find any witness from the Har-Ki-Pauri area—described as crowded during the time of the alleged incident—to corroborate the abduction claim.
Presiding Officer Amarjeet Singh Langeh observed that the prosecution “miserably failed” to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt, noting that suspicion cannot take the place of proof. The challan was dismissed, the accused was acquitted and discharged from his bail and surety bonds, and the court directed disposal of seized property after the expiry of the appeal period (JNF) |
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