Bangle seller Tasleem Ali acquitted of all charges in 2021 Indore molestation case
Indore: Tasleem Ali, a bangle seller from Uttar Pradesh who faced severe physical assault, public humiliation, and nearly four months in jail in 2021 on charges of molesting a minor, has been acquitted of all charges by a court in Madhya Pradesh.
The additional sessions court in Indore delivered the verdict on Monday, citing a lack of evidence and contradictions in witness statements. Tasleem, who hails from Hardoi, was accused of hiding his identity while selling bangles in the narrow lanes of Indore’s Banganaga area on August 22, 2021. A video that went viral showed him being thrashed by an angry mob, which triggered widespread attention.
Following the incident, he was booked under multiple sections, including Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (outraging the modesty of a woman) and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. According to the FIR, the minor girl had alleged that Tasleem held her hand, touched her cheeks, and made inappropriate comments. He was also accused of threatening to kill her.
However, during the trial, the minor retracted her statement, claiming she did not recognize Tasleem and was unaware of the events of August 22. Her parents also denied any knowledge of the incident or association with the accused.
The court's judgment, penned by Judge Rashmi Walter, stated, “After investigating and cross-questioning the witnesses, it has not been established that the accused held the minor’s hand or used force with an intention to molest her. Nor is there any evidence that he threatened the minor. Further, it could not be established that Tasleem intentionally tried to mislead the minor’s parents by showing any fraudulent identity card.”
Tasleem’s lawyer, Aslim Ali, told ThePrint that the accusations were fabricated after the viral video of the mob assault caused an uproar. "Tasleem himself had registered a case against those who attacked him. In retaliation, they lodged a fraudulent case of molestation two days later," he said.
The allegations about Tasleem having multiple identities due to differing names in official documents were also addressed during the investigation. It was found that discrepancies in names—where he and his father were referred to by several aliases—were due to clerical errors, not fraudulent intent.
The ordeal left a lasting impact on Tasleem and his family. Following the incident, Tasleem and his brothers stopped selling bangles door-to-door in Indore. Irfan Ali, Tasleem’s younger brother, shared, “We have now rented a small shop in Akola, Maharashtra. It’s not as profitable, but we prefer earning with dignity rather than facing abuse for no fault of ours.”
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Trump says EU has until July 4 to approve last year's trade deal or it will face higher tariffs
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump has said in a social media post that goods from the European Union would face higher tariff rates if the 27-member bloc fails to approve last year's trade framework by July 4.
The announcement on Thursday appeared to be a deadline extension after the president said last Friday that EU autos would face a higher 25 per cent tariff starting this week. Trump made the updated announcement after what he described as a "great call" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Still, the US president was displeased that the European Parliament had yet to finalize the trade arrangement reached last year, which was further complicated in February by the US Supreme Court ruling that Trump lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency to impose the initial tariffs used to pressure the EU into talks.
"A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!" Trump posted. "I agreed to give her until our Country's 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels."
It was unclear from the post whether Trump was implying that the tariff rates would jump on all EU goods or the increase would only apply to autos.
His latest statement indicates he might be backing away from his earlier threat on EU autos by giving the European Parliament several more weeks to approve the agreement.
Under the original terms of the framework, the US would charge a 15 per cent tax on most goods imported from the EU.
But since the Supreme Court ruling, the administration has levied a 10 per cent tariff while investigating trade imbalances and national security issues, aiming to put in new tariffs to make up for lost revenues.
