A 28-year-old man accused of slapping an assistant bank manager was acquitted in Thane sessions court. The prosecution failed to prove the charges.
On October 17, 2018, the man went to a nationalized bank branch to get a new ATM card for his elderly father. The assistant manager checked the system but couldn’t find the card. He asked the man to check at another counter.
The man was upset at being sent from counter to counter and raised his voice. The assistant manager warned him against misbehavior. The man lost his cool and slapped the manager. The security guard intervened and took the man aside. He was later booked under Sections 353 and 332 of the Indian Penal Code for assaulting a public servant.
The man pleaded not guilty and went on trial. The judge acquitted the man, observing that the assistant manager and security guard couldn’t identify him. The judge also noted that the prosecution failed to prove that the man had obstructed the assistant manager from discharging his duty.