A senior police officer accused of indecently assaulting a policewoman by hugging and kissing her cheeks several years ago has been acquitted.
Magistrate Yogesh Prasad yesterday found the officer not guilty of two counts of indecent assault, allegedly committed in 2017 and 2018.
According to the prosecution, the man was the officer in charge of the Police Band, and the complainant was an active member under his supervision.
The court heard that in June 2017, the officer allegedly hugged the complainant tightly and kissed her cheek inside the band’s office. It was further alleged that in March 2018, he hugged her from the side and again kissed her cheek. On both occasions, she said she felt uncomfortable with his conduct.
During cross-examination, the complainant agreed that she reported the matter in 2021. However, she denied suggestions that there was a group seeking the officer’s removal as head of the Police Band.
In his ruling, Mr Prasad noted that the complainant was unable to satisfactorily explain the delay in reporting the incidents, particularly given her position as a police officer who could have reported the matter promptly.
He said the late reporting affected the credibility and reliability of her evidence, as the court found no reasonable explanation for the delay. He also observed that she was not under the accused’s financial or social control beyond their professional working relationship.
While the court was not seeking corroborative evidence as a requirement, Mr Prasad said testimony from another recent complainant could have strengthened the State’s case.
He further stated that after carefully observing the complainant’s demeanour during her testimony, he found her to be evasive at times under cross-examination, which affected her credibility.
After reviewing all the evidence, the court ruled that there was a lingering doubt in the prosecution’s case and acquitted the accused.
