Mumbai News

Bombay high court grants bail to stepfather in Pocso case – Times of India

File photo: Bombay high court

MUMBAI: Bombay high court on Tuesday granted bail to a 43-year-old man who was accused of molesting his minor stepdaughter when she was 12-year-old.
The complainant who was the second wife of the accused had lodged the complaint after the victim’s ordeal was purportedly disclosed to her by own daughter.
Advocate Aniket Nikam who appeared for the father argued that there was a substantial delay in lodging the FIR and the impugned complaint is lodged due to the matrimonial disputes between husband and wife.
Nikam argued that in the domestic violence complaint filed by the wife against the accused, the molestation allegations as mentioned in the FIR were absent and that the FIR filed last August is an afterthought. The accused was arrested last October.
The bench of Justice S K Shinde heard prosecutor PP Shinde who opposed any relief. The court ordered his release on a cash bail of Rs 30000 in the offence of molestation and aggravated sexual attack as defined under the Pocso Act.
(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/bombay-high-court-grants-bail-to-stepfather-in-pocso-case/articleshow/76966685.cms