Senior journalist S N M Abdi, who broke the "Bhagalpur blindings" story three decades back, has been acquitted of the charge of abetment to rape by a local court.

After an in-camera trial, Abdi was given a clean chit by K P Burman, additional district and sessions judge, 3rd Fast Track Court,

Abdi and co-accused Saiful Alam, who is now married to the complainant, were pronounced not guilty by the judge yesterday who observed that the prosecution had failed to prove the case against the accused.

Prime accused Alam and Abdi were charged under section 376 (g) of IPC.

While Abdi was arrested on September 11, 2009, following a complaint by a woman filed at New Alipore police station in South Kolkata, Alam, a railway employee, absconded.

Abdi was granted bail on November 18, 2009, after spending 69 days in police and judicial custody.

Alam was subsequently granted anticipatory bail by the Calcutta High Court after he married the complainant.

Pronouncing the judgement, the court noted that the complainant had said that it was a case of misundertanding which had been resolved.