Ghaziabad, April 13 -- A special POCSO court in Ghaziabad has acquitted a 40-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl, citing inconsistencies in the prosecution's case and lack of reliable evidence. The man was ordered to be released immediately from jail, unless required in any other case.

The first information report (FIR) was registered in October 2023 by the girl's elder sister at Sahibabad police station under sections of the Indian Penal Code relating to rape, along with relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The girl was 13 years and 10 months old at the time of the complaint.

The FIR alleged that the accused, who was known to the family for several years, had sexually ...