Panchkula: A Panchkula court has acquitted a 23-year-old man in a rape case involving a Class X student who gave birth in her govt school’s toilet in 2023, citing insufficient evidence and contradictions in the prosecution’s case.Acquitting the accused of charges under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and, alternatively, Section 376 IPC, the court observed that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. It noted that the evidence suffered from material contradictions and lacked the credibility required to sustain a conviction.The case came to light after the newborn’s body was recovered from a dustbin. The girl had allegedly disposed of the baby after presuming the infant was dead. She is also facing a separate case in connection with the incident.In her initial statement to police, the girl said she had been in a consensual relationship with the accused. However, in a subsequent statement, she alleged that the relationship was forced.A key factor in the acquittal was the DNA evidence. The accused’s DNA profile did not match either the girl or the baby. Tests, however, confirmed that the girl was the biological mother of the infant.Another accused in the case, the girl’s neighbour, was a minor at the time. Proceedings against him are pending before the Juvenile Justice Board.Defence counsel argued that his client had been falsely implicated and pointed to the DNA mismatch, inconsistencies in the girl’s statements and the lack of corroborative evidence. The court ultimately granted the accused the benefit of doubt.According to the prosecution, the complainant, whose identity has been withheld under the POCSO Act, initially stated that she had been in a consensual relationship with the accused since Aug 2022. She claimed she was unaware of her pregnancy and unexpectedly delivered a baby in the school washroom on May 15, 2023. Believing the infant showed no signs of life, she allegedly placed the baby in a dustbin.Based on her statement and the subsequent investigation, an FIR was registered at Chandimandir police station on May 20, 2023. The mother of girl later sought to have her statement re-recorded, following which she made fresh allegations. During the investigation, the minor neighbour was also named as an accused. Police said the minor admitted involvement in the incident, while the 23-year-old was later arrested from Chandigarh railway station. The minor’s trial is pending before the juvenile court.
