A special court in Maharashtra’s Thane district has acquitted a man accused of kidnapping and raping a 17-year-old girl, ruling that she had willingly eloped with him and was mature enough to understand the consequences of her actions, according to PTI reports.

As per PTI, Special Judge D S Deshmukh stated that the prosecution failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt, and therefore, the accused must be given the benefit of the doubt. He was acquitted of all charges under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.