Delhi High Court pulled up a minor girl's father for lodging a false case of molestation against driver.
A minor girl's father, who had lodged a false molestation and sexual harassment case against the cab driver of his daughter, has been pulled up by a Delhi court which said it was painful and not expected from educated people to use their children for their own benefit.
The court, while acquitting the van driver, said the nine-year-old child who appeared to be an "innocent and true person" was tutored by her father to make false deposition.
The court noted that the accused had taken a defence that when he had asked the girl's father to pay Rs 9,000 as travelling charges for three months for two children, an altercation took place between them and he was beaten by the complainant's family and falsely implicated in the case.
It said the alleged victim also admitted during her cross -examination that the driver had come to her house asking for salary and a fight had taken place between him and her father.
"This leaves no doubt that she was a tutored witness and was tutored by her father to make false deposition. It is least expected from educated people to use their children for their own benefit and to make them speak false.
"If this part of the testimony of the victim has to be accepted, it is more painful that she was made to speak in court during her deposition that the accused used to tell her that she should dance in his house after removing clothes," Additional Sessions Judge Sanjay Sharma-I said, adding "it shows the extent to which a man can stoop low only for his personal benefit.
"Thus the sterling witness of this case has herself proved the defence and also proved the falsity of the prosecution case and it requires no further discussion," the court said.
It also said the girl had admitted in her testimony that her father had told her what statement she had to make.
The compaint was lodged by the girl's father in December 2012, alleging that his daughter, a student of class 5, had been travelling in the van of the accused to go to school and on several occasions, the driver used to touch her inappropriately.
A case of molestation under IPC and sexual harassment under the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act was registered against the driver at Seelampur Police Station.