Serial child molester, rapist acquitted in one of the cases

Dindoshi court acquits Rehan Abdul Rashid Qureshi of molesting a 10-year-old girl in Mumbai. Judge cites lack of evidence in the case.

MUMBAI: The Dindoshi sessions court acquitted Rehan Abdul Rashid Qureshi, accused of kidnapping, molesting, and/or raping at least 22 minor girls in the Mumbai metropolitan region, in a case registered at the Goregaon police station. Special judge SM Takalikar stated, “The prosecution has utterly failed to prove that accused outraged modesty of the victim girl, wrongfully restrained her, threatened her, and with sexual intent sexually harassed her,” acquitting the 43-year-old of molesting a 10-year-old girl in Goregaon on December 5, 2015.

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The incident occurred on December 5, 2015, when the girl stepped out to get a book for her sister. After she didn’t return for a while, her family and neighbours searched for her. She came back after an hour, claiming an unknown man took her to an empty building and molested her. The Goregaon police, acting on a complaint from her mother, registered an offence against Qureshi, who faced similar charges in 21 other cases.

Qureshi was arrested on April 8, 2019, and prosecuted under the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. During the trial, his lawyer, advocate Nazneen Khatri, argued there was no evidence of molestation, noting discrepancies in the complaint and the lack of identification details. The court also doubted the test identification process due to its poor lighting.