Molestation case riddled with contradictions: Delhi court acquits father-son duo

A Delhi court acquitted a father and son in a molestation case after finding major contradictions in the prosecution's evidence. The order raises serious questions over the police probe and the possibility of malicious prosecution.Additional Sessions Judge Hargurvarinder Singh Jaggi acquitted Pramod, alias Akash, and his father, Mohar Singh, who were facing trial in a case registered in February 2018. (Representative image)A Delhi court has acquitted a father-son duo in a molestation case, saying the prosecution failed to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt and that the case suffered from “fatal, irreconcilable infirmities”. The two were also cleared of charges of attempted disrobing, house trespass and criminal intimidation.Additional Sessions Judge Hargurvarinder Singh Jaggi acquitted Pramod, alias Akash, and his father, Mohar Singh, who were facing trial in a case registered at Neb Sarai Police Station in February 2018.In an order dated August 25, the court said, “The prosecution's case has collapsed under the weight of its own contradictions. The prosecutrix directly exonerated Mohar Singh. Further, the prosecutrix's testimony against Pramod alias Akash is riddled with progressive improvements and material contradictions.”The court said the case against Mohar Singh was completely weakened after the woman stated during her deposition that “accused Mohar Singh has done nothing against me”. It noted that while she had earlier made allegations against him in her statement before a magistrate, that statement was not substantive evidence and could only be used for corroboration or contradiction. The court also found that the prosecution's sole public eyewitness, Vakil, alias Parvinder, turned hostile during cross-examination.Though he had initially been cited as the person who rescued the woman and saw the alleged assault that followed, he later told the court under oath that he was not present at the time and had not witnessed any beating or molestation. The judge said this complete retraction left the prosecution with “absolutely no independent or public corroboration” for several charges. The judge further said, “The arrest of a 65-year-old father who merely went to inquire about his son's arrest, coupled with procedural violations of Section 41A CrPC, lends immense weight to the defence of malicious prosecution out of police vengeance.”The court noted that the woman admitted signing blank papers and putting her thumb impressions on them for the police. It said this, along with the investigating officer's statement that the complaint was in his handwriting, supported the defence claim that the complaint had been drafted by the police.The court also pointed to several lapses in the investigation, including the failure to seize the woman's allegedly torn clothes, the non-recovery of the weapon allegedly used to threaten her family, and the failure to join any independent witness even though the alleged incident took place on a public street.“In the light of the aforesaid analysis, the prosecution's case has collapsed under the weight of its own contradictions,” the court said while acquitting both accused.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 5, 2026 13:08 IST