A Thane court has acquitted a 25-year-old man from Jharkhand who was accused of kidnapping and raping a minor girl in 2020, citing a lack of support for the prosecution's case. 

In the verdict delivered on July 9, Special POCSO court judge D S Deshmukh noted that the girl, who was 15 at the time, testified that the relationship was consensual and that she later married the accused, as per news agency PTI.

The couple now has two children. The victim’s father also told the court he had no complaint against the man. The case dates back to January 2, 2020, when the girl left her home in Bhayander, Thane district. A missing person’s report was filed by her father two days later.