The Bombay High Court has acquitted a 44-year-old teacher previously sentenced to 20 years under the POCSO Act. The court cited an inordinate and unexplained delay in filing the FIR, which was lodged eight months after the alleged incident in 2019. The High Court found the prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, setting aside the Thane sessions court's 2022 conviction. The teacher had appealed his conviction based on allegations of sexual assault and threats by a former student.