Mumbai court denies bail to woman accused of molesting 12-year-old boy

As the minor’s statement was not recorded by the magistrate, bailing the accused could possibly influence the boy and his siblings, the court observed

A sessions court on Tuesday denied bail to a 45-year-old woman accused of molesting a 12-year-old boy from Bandra, on the grounds that allowing her to return home would create fear in the mind of the survivor and his siblings.

The court also directed the police to investigate the role of the boy’s mother who had allegedly sent his nude photographs to the accused.

According to the boy’s father, who is the complainant in the case, his son was visiting his mother and two other siblings who live in Bandra on January 5 when the incident occurred. The couple is separated and has split custody of their three children.

Since the boy’s mother was not at home, the accused — who is her neighbour — invited him into her house, according to the complainant, and molested him while he waited for an hour.

The father said his son looked disturbed when he returned home to their Khar residence and later told him about what had happened, following which a police complaint was lodged.

Police arrested the accused woman on January 6. In court, she claimed she had been in a relationship with the boy’s father earlier but after breaking up with him, she became acquainted with his estranged wife. She argued that the complainant’s case was false, frivolous and was intended to harass her and his wife.

When her bail application came up for hearing, the father, through senior advocate Dr Sujay Kantawala, objected to it on the grounds that she had nude photographs of his son on her mobile phone (which she admitted were sent by the mother). As the minor’s statement was not recorded by the magistrate, bailing the accused could possibly influence the boy and his siblings, he argued.

The court accepted the father’s objections and held that the boy’s nude photographs were enough evidence to keep the accused in custody until the investigation was complete and rejected her bail application.