Court denies bail to man who sexually abused grandchild

The special court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act refused to grant interim bail to a 64-year-old painter from central Mumbai who

The special court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act refused to grant interim bail to a 64-year-old painter from central Mumbai who has been booked for sexually abusing his 10-year-old granddaughter, observing that the minor and her mother are not traceable.

HT Image

The accused had approached the special court for interim bail, claiming that he is in prison since July 2017 and is also suffering from fever.

The accused claimed that he is falsely implicated by his daughter over a property dispute. The daughter, a complainant in the case, alleged that on May 11, 2017, the accused raped her and threatened her that he would kill her children.

Later, on June 27, 2017, the 10-year-old daughter of the complainant told her that the accused attempted to sexually abuse her.

Further, the complainant alleged that on July 1, 2017, when she visited her mother, her father had raped her again.

The prosecution claimed that the complainant and her daughter are not traceable.

While objecting to the accused’s plea, the court maintained that the accused cannot take benefit of the Covid situation. The special court, while rejecting the bail application, observed that the police have not yet succeeded in securing the presence of the minor and his mother, but the trial is going on.

The court held that since the accused is a close relative of the survivor and is the father of the informant, there is every possibility that the accused might try to influence the minor and her mother, after being released on bail.