E-Paper
Pune court grants pre-arrest bail to Bishop Thomas Dabre in POCSO case
A Pune court has granted anticipatory bail to Bishop Thomas Dabre, who is a co-accused in a case pertaining to sexual abuse of a minor, and confirmed interim protection from arrest
A Pune court has granted anticipatory bail to Bishop Thomas Dabre, who is a co-accused in a case pertaining to sexual abuse of a minor, and confirmed interim protection from arrest.
A first information report ( FIR) was registered at Hadapsar police station and later transferred to Kondhwa police station stating that Father Vincent Pereira allegedly sexually abused a 15-year-old boy while two other prominent members of the church – Bishop Dabre and Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the Archbishop of Bombay -- allegedly did not act against the main suspect despite complaints from the survivor’s family members.
Dabre later filed an application seeking pre-arrest bail in connection with the case.
Additional sessions judge SP Ponkshe in her order issued on Tuesday and uploaded on the court website on Wednesday stated: “The application is allowed. Interim protection granted to the applicant is confirmed. In the event of the arrest of the applicant Thomas Manwel Dabre, in connection with a case registered with Kondhwa police station for the offence punishable under Sections 8,12, 21(1) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, be released on executing P.R. bond of Rs25,000 with one or two sureties in the like amount. The applicant shall attend the concerned police station every Monday and Friday between 11 am to 2 pm till the filing of the charge sheet and shall cooperate during the investigation. The applicant shall not tamper the prosecution evidence in any manner.”
The court has asked the applicant not to leave Maharashtra without prior permission of the investigating officer. Violation of any of the conditions imposed shall amount to the cancellation of bail forthwith, stated the order.
The court order stated that the prosecution has filed say and opposed the bail application and made specific allegations against the present applicant while objecting this application that the parents of the victim boy went to the present applicant to give the complaint on December 12, 2021, and the applicant did not take the said complaint application and not initiated any action against Father Pereira till April 2022. The applicant has not attended and cooperated during the investigation, it stated.
The court observed, “Prima facie in view of allegations against the present applicant, his role seems to be a failure to report or record a case under Section 21(2) of the POCSO Act and considering punishment provided extent to one year and his conduct which has prima facie come on record in view of the above discussion, it seems that his custodial investigation is not necessary. Therefore, in view of prima facie material on record and allegations against him under Section 21(2) of the POCSO Act, it is just to grant pre-arrest bail to the applicant by imposing conditions upon him,” it stated.
