Rehan Abdul Rashid Qureshi, kidnapper and murderer of several minor girls, was acquitted in the alleged rape case due to insufficient evidence. The prosecution once more failed to substantiate the charges against him.
Rehan, an alleged serial rapist who is accused of rape and murder in 22 cases, again got acquitted in a case registered by the Goregaon police station.
Out of 22 cases across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane District, accused Rehan Qureshi got acquitted in 3 cases on Tuesday. As reported, there are still 19 more cases pending in the Sessions Courts of Bombay, Navi Mumbai & Thane against him. Advocate Nazneen Khatri has been defending the accused Rehan Qureshi in all 22 cases since his date of first arrest.
His advocate, Nazneen Khatri, further stated, “My client is innocent and has been wrongly framed in these cases. I am happy that he is acquitted.”
Earlier, on March 28, the Sessions Court acquitted him in a separate case involving the rape and kidnapping of a 13-year-old minor under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
This incident was reported to the Bhoiwada police station in 2016. Qureshi faced trial under Sections 363 (kidnapping) and 376(3) (rape of a minor) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, as well as Section 6 of the POCSO Act, 2012, related to a case filed against him.
No evidences were found against the accused in earlier cases
In the case in which Qureshi was acquitted by the court, the Bhoiwada police inspected the crime scene, conducted a panchanama, recorded statements, and gathered forensic samples.
The medical report showed that the victim’s genital organs were intact, with no signs of genital injury. Moreover, the forensic report also similarly indicated no evidence of recent genital trauma.
In cross-examination, the medical officer confirmed that the alleged incident occurred on June 19, 2016, and the victim was examined at the hospital on the same day. He noted that 24 hours had elapsed since the incident and that the observed injuries, possibly from an assault with tiles, dated back one or two days prior.
The court then further determined that no evidence connecting the accused to the crime had been presented. It found the testimonies of the victim and complainant unreliable and lacking credibility. The statements of prosecution witnesses did not corroborate the charges against the accused.
The lawyer of the accused at that time also stated that, “My client, Rehan Qureshi, is innocent, and he is falsely implicated in all the cases.”
