A special court in Maharashtra's Thane district has acquitted a 21-year-old man in a 2024 kidnapping and sexual assault case, while strongly recommending compensation and rehabilitation for the orphaned minor survivor.

Special Judge (POCSO) Premal S Vithalani noted that the survivor, who lost her father during the course of the trial and currently lives in a shelter home, requires urgent restorative justice and financial support regardless of the trial's outcome.