POCSO case against Bishop quashed by Karnataka HC

The Karnataka High Court has quashed the criminal proceedings against Reverend Prasanna Kumar Samuel in a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The Karnataka High Court has quashed the criminal proceedings against Reverend Prasanna Kumar Samuel in a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Prasanna Kumar Samuel is a Bishop of Church of South India (CSI) Karnataka Central Diocese, Bengaluru.

Prasanna Kumar Samuel is a Bishop of Church of South India (CSI) Karnataka Central Diocese, Bengaluru. (PTI) (HT_PRINT)

The case was registered against five people, including Prasanna Kumar Samuel under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and POCSO in 2015 in relation to alleged sexual assault on some girls at the premises of a school in the the city. Though the police had dropped the charges against Prasanna Kumar, during the trial, he was summoned on an application filed by the public prosecutor in December 2017. This was challenged before the HC.

Justice Hemant Chandanagoudar, while quashing the proceedings against Kumar on May 25, said, “The charge sheet material does not disclose that the petitioner has committed the aforesaid offences and also the investigating officer has specifically stated before this Court on November 19, 2019 there are no material available against the petitioner.

However, the Magistrate without perusing the charge sheet material, without application of mind, has issued the summons and the same is impermissible and is an abuse of process of law."