B.Sridhar vs State And Others

P. Dhanabal, J

The petitioner / Accused, who was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on 14.04.2026 for the offences punishable under Sections 7, 8, 9(m), 10 of POCSO Act, 2012 and Section 351(3) of BNS Act in Crime No. 29 of 2026 on the file of the respondent police, seeks bail.

The case of the prosecution is that on 08.04.2026 at about

09.00 p.m., when the defacto complainant returning home from work and found her younger daughter, who is a victim was crying. During the course of enquiry, the victim disclosed that she had been subjected to sexual abuse by the accused. Hence the case.

The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner would submit that the petitioner is innocent and he was falsely implicated in this case and he has not committed any offence as alleged by the prosecution. He would further submit that he has been arrested and remanded to judicial custody on 14.04.2026. Therefore, prayed to grant bail for the petitioner.

The learned Government Advocate (Crl.Side) appearing for the respondent would submit that based on the complaint lodged by the mother of the victim the case has been registered. He would further submit that though the investigation has been completed and charge sheet filed, considering the grave nature of offence, he strongly opposed to grant bail to the petitioner.

This Court heard both sides and perused the materials available on record.

Considering the rival submissions made by the learned counsel on either side, nature of offence, and considering the facts that the statement of victim under Section 183 of BNSS was recorded; that the period of incarceration undergone by the petitioner as well as the stage of completion of investigation, this Court is inclined to grant bail to the petitioner subject to the following conditions:

[a] Accordingly, this Criminal Original Petition is allowed and the petitioner is ordered to be released on bail on condition to execute a bond for a sum of Rs.10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand only) with two sureties each for a like sum to the satisfaction of the learned Sessions Judge, Special Court for Exclusive Trial of Cases under POCSO Court, Thoothukudi District, and on further conditions that:

[b] the petitioner shall report before the Special Court for Exclusive Trial of Cases under POCSO Court, Thoothukudi District on every Monday at 10.30 a.m., for a period of four weeks, thereafter, as and when required for interrogation;

[c] the petitioner shall not commit any offence similar to the offence of which he/she is accused, or suspected, or of the commission of which he/she is suspected;

[d] the petitioner shall not abscond either during investigation or trial;

[e] the petitioner shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any police officer or tamper with the evidence;

[f] On breach of any of the aforesaid conditions, the learned Judicial Magistrate/Trial Court is entitled to take appropriate action against the petitioner in accordance with law as if the conditions have been imposed and the petitioner released on bail by the learned Magistrate/Trial Court himself as laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in P.K.Shaji vs. State of Kerala [(2005)AIR SCW 5560].

[g] If the accused thereafter absconds, a fresh FIR can be registered under Section 269 BNS.