21-year-old acquitted of rape, kidnapping charges

The sessions court recently acquitted Sanaullah Shaikh, a 21-year-old Mahim resident, who was arrested by the Bandra police for allegedly kidnapping and raping a 13-year-old-girl.

Shaikh was acquitted after the court realised that the victim was not stable on her statement and thus it became clear that the accused was implicated in the case just on the basis of suspicion.

The case dates back to 2011 when the girl went missing from her Bandra residence. Shaikh and the girl had exchanged their mobile phone numbers with each other and they both used to talk over phone. When the girl's mother came to know that her daughter and Shaikh were in constant touch, she reprimanded the latter for his involvement.

On November 28, 2011, the girl went missing and her mother approached the police and registered a complaint against Shaikh on the grounds of suspicion. She alleged that Shaikh had kidnapped her daughter and raped her. But the case took a U-turn when the complainant informed the court that she was neither kidnapped nor raped by the accused. The complainant claimed that she was angry with her mother and hence she had left home on her own.