The Wire Staff 
New Delhi: A sessions court in Indore has acquitted Tasleem Ali, a bangle seller from Uttar Pradesh, of all charges, including molestation and carrying fake identity documents, citing insufficient evidence. Ali had spent 107 days in jail following his arrest in August 2021.
The verdict, delivered by special judge Rashmi Walter on Monday, December 2, stated that the prosecution failed to substantiate the charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), according to a report in the Deccan Herald. The 27-page judgment marked the conclusion of a controversial case that began with allegations of molestation and communal violence.
On August 22, 2021, Tasleem, a resident of Hardoi district in Uttar Pradesh, was selling bangles door-to-door in an Indore locality when he was assaulted by a group of men. A viral video showed the attackers beating him and hurling communal slurs after asking his name. They accused him of harassing women and warned him not to enter a “Hindu area” again.
The next day, Tasleem filed a complaint at the Banganga police station, alleging that five or six men had attacked him, looted Rs 10,000, his phone and identity documents, including his Aadhaar card. Subsequently, he was arrested after a 13-year-old girl accused him of molestation, leading to a second FIR under the POCSO Act and IPC Sections 354 (outraging modesty), 420 (cheating) and 471 (using forged documents).
Also read: Indore: After More Than 100 Days in Jail, Bangle Seller Who Was Assaulted Gets Bail
During the trial, the minor girl and other key witnesses turned hostile, weakening the prosecution’s case. Ali’s lawyer, Sheikh Aleem, argued that the allegation of identity forgery was unfounded, as the Aadhaar card with the name “Golu” referred to Ali’s village nickname. The court accepted testimonies from village heads corroborating this.
Following his acquittal, Ali expressed mixed emotions. “I am both happy and sad – this is a bittersweet experience for me… I was implicated in a false case over religion and my name,” he told the Indian Express.
Ali, who resumed selling bangles after being granted bail in December 2021, said he bore no ill will toward Indore, a city where he had earned his livelihood for years. “All residents of Indore are my brothers and sisters,” he told the Indian Express.
Ali also shared his experience of imprisonment, telling the Indian Express, “Initially, there was a lot of struggle; I was scared.. The jailers and police were nice to me. I was not harassed. I had faith in the constitution and the judiciary.”
Although he filed a complaint against his attackers, Ali stated he had no plans to pursue the case further. “They apologised to me. I want to move on. I have nothing against anyone,” he told the Indian Express.
Ali, a father of six, continues to sell bangles in Indore and other states, determined to support his family and rebuild his life.