NEW DELHI (AFP) — India's Supreme Court will hear an appeal Friday against the acquittal of two Britons on charges of sexually abusing young boys at a Mumbai orphanage, a report said.
The Supreme Court agreed to hold an "urgent hearing" on the acquittal of Britons Duncan Grant, 63, and Alan Waters, 58, the Press Trust of India reported late on Wednesday.
The decision to hold the appeal hearing came after the men were cleared last week by the Bombay High Court.
The men, accused of attacking boys at the shelter set up for homeless youngsters, were freed from jail on Thursday.
The Bombay High Court ruling overturned a 2006 lower court decision convicting the men of raping youngsters at the Anchorage Shelter Home in Mumbai set up by Grant in 1995.
The Bombay High Court acquitted the two men, citing "lack of evidence," saying testimony against them was unreliable.
Defence lawyers had argued the Britons were framed by a "known" paedophile who had given the boys money to complain about sexual abuse.
But the Childline India Foundation, which helps children in difficulties, told the Supreme Court the appeal against the acquittal needed to be held as soon as possible as there was a danger of the men leaving the country.
It said both men had made "all possible attempts" not to stand trial.
After the allegations of child abuse arose in 2001, Grant was traced to Tanzania and later moved to Britain. Waters was arrested in the United States.
The pair were brought to India following the issue of international arrest warrants.
"It is nice to be free, but five years of humanitarian work with street children has gone to waste," Grant, a charity worker and ex-naval officer, said after being freed.
Waters, also a former naval officer who police said had been a regular shelter visitor, said, "It feels great to walk as a free man again."
A third man, William D'Souza, an Indian who managed the shelter who had been convicted of aiding and abetting the men, was also cleared by the court.
Both Grant and Waters said they would not leave the country until the Indian government gave them the green light to depart, the Press Trust of India quoted them as saying.
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