Thane: A Thane court has acquitted a man charged with obstructing a public servant and violating lockdown orders during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, noting the complainant’s sole testimony was insufficient to convict him.

Additional Sessions Judge V G Mohite cited lack of corroborating evidence by the prosecution to prove the charges.

A copy of the September 3 order was made available on Sunday.

An FIR was lodged against Anwar Mir Sayyad, resident of Mumbra area here, on a complaint by Thane Municipal Corporation clerk Jitendra Sable, who alleged that Sayyad obstructed him and his colleagues from carrying out their patrolling duties on April 9 and 10, 2020.

The officials were then enforcing prohibitory orders issued by the district collector and police commissioner to curb the spread of the virus.

Sayyad faced charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Epidemic Diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act.

The prosecution’s case was built on the testimony of Sable and investigation officer (IO) Rupchand Shinde.

The defence, however, challenged the evidence, and the court found significant gaps in the prosecution’s case.

The court noted the prosecution failed to provide an independent eyewitness to support the complainant’s testimony.

“The prosecution has not recorded evidence of the complainant’s colleagues who accompanied him at the time of the alleged incident,” it observed.

“The IO has not collected documentary evidence showing patrolling duty done by the complainant along with his colleagues on the aforesaid date, time and place. There is no independent eyewitness to the alleged incident,” the court said.

It further said the IO has not collected CCTV footage of the area showing the presence of the accused and the complainant at the incident spot.

“The complainant’s evidence requires corroboration either by ocular evidence or documentary evidence. However, the prosecution has not adduced such evidence for the corroboration. In these circumstances, it is unsafe to rely upon sole testimony of the complainant to prove the case against the accused,” the judge said.

Based on these findings, the court held the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt and acquitted Sayyad of all charges.