POCSO court grants bail to man booked for raping 16-year-old sister-in-law

MUMBAI: A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court on Friday granted bail to a 29-year-old driver who was booked for raping and impregnating his 16-year-old sister-in-law in Karjur Marg in July 2023

MUMBAI: A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court on Friday granted bail to a 29-year-old driver who was booked for raping and impregnating his 16-year-old sister-in-law in Karjur Marg in July 2023.

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While pronouncing the order, special judge Kalpana Patil observed that the victim and her family members had no objection to granting the accused bail. “Even though the investigation is completed, considering the number of old cases pending before this Court, there is no likelihood of conclusion of this trial in near future,” said the court order.

According to the prosecution, the victim was suffering from severe stomachache for a long time. Hence, on July 31, 2023, around 8pm, the victim’s elder sister took her to a local clinic for a checkup.

On checking the victim, the doctor suspected something wrong and suggested she immediately get sonography done at the Jamuna Diagnostic Centre.

Confused, the sisters visited the centre the next day and realised that the victim was pregnant. When the elder sister asked her repeatedly, the victim told her that her brother-in-law (sister’s husband) had been raping her on multiple occasions.

She also told her sister that her husband threatened her not to disclose the incidents to anyone, or he would harm her sister.

Advocate Gupta, representing the accused, submitted that there has been no incriminating material that has been recovered from the accused and hence, prayed that he be granted bail as he is a permanent resident of Kanjur Marg, and there is no likelihood of him absconding.

Special public prosecutor S S Shamkuwar rejected the bail application because the offence is serious and if the accused is released on bail he might bribe or pressurise the victim.

The court further directed the accused to furnish a PR Bond of ₹15,000 with surety of the like amount and ordered the accused to intimate the Investigation Officer as and when he would change his residential address.

The accused was booked under sections 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and sections 4 (Punishment for penetrative sexual assault) and 6 (punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO act.