Mohanan vs State Of Kerala

G.Girish, J

The petitioner is the accused in Crime No.845/2019 of the Thrissur Town West Police Station. In the aforesaid case, the Investigating Agency has filed a final report alleging the commission of offence under Sections 376  AB,  376(2)(f)(n)  &  376(3)  of  the  Indian  Penal  Code,  1860,  and Section  4  read  with  Section  3  (b)  &  Section  6  read  with  Section  5 (l)(m)(n)  of  the  Protection  of  Children  from  Sexual  Offences  Act,  2012, and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

The allegation against the petitioner, a person aged 69 years who  retired  from  the  University  of  Calicut as Section Officer, is that he committed rape and penetrative sexual assault upon his seven year old granddaughter  by  pressing  his  fingers  upon  her  genital  area  during various occasions from 2017 to 2019.  According to the petitioner, a false case has been foisted against him by his daughter, who is the mother of the victim child, since he did not give approval for the wanton life being followed  by  her. It  is  stated that the victim child was born in the first marriage of the petitioner’s daughter, which was dissolved under Section 10A  of  the  Indian  Divorce  Act,  1869,  on  21.08.2017. Thereafter,  the  petitioner’s  daughter  is  said  to  have  married  another  person,  but  the above relationship also did not extend for more than one year.  While the proceedings  were  pending  before  the  Family  Court,  Thrissur,  for  the divorce of the second marriage of the petitioner’s daughter, she is said to have fallen in love with another person, who later on committed suicide. According to the petitioner, his daughter was having behavioural abnormality and she was undergoing psychiatric treatment.  The present case is said to have been foisted by the petitioner’s daughter, since she was  in  inimical  terms  with  the  petitioner  due  to  the  admonition  and correctional  steps  being  taken  by  him  to  guide  his  daughter  to  lead  a disciplined life.

Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Public Prosecutor representing the State of Kerala.

It is submitted by the learned counsel for the petitioner that at  present  the  victim  child  and  her  mother  are  under  the  care  and protection of the petitioner and his wife, and the victim’s mother, who is the daughter of the petitioner, has now realised the wrong committed by her  in  preferring  a  false  complaint  against  the  petitioner. It  is  further submitted  that  the  petitioner’s  daughter  and  the  victim  child  fervently want  to  withdraw  the  false  complaint  raised  against  the  petitioner,  as misguided  by  some  unscrupulous  persons.  In  support  of  the  above argument, the learned counsel for the petitioner adverted to an affidavit filed  by  the  victim’s  mother  on  13.12.2024  stating  that  she  deeply regretted the institution of this crime against the petitioner as an act of retaliation for trying to interfere with her freedom.  It is further stated in the  affidavit that the victim’s mother preferred the complaint under the advice of some of her friends, and that at present, neither she, nor her daughter, wanted to prosecute the petitioner. Thus, it is argued by the learned counsel for the petitioner that the criminal proceedings initiated against  the  petitioner  in  this  regard  are  to  be  quashed, since it is writ large  from  the  above  affidavit  filed  by  the  mother  of  the victim that a false case has been foisted against the petitioner.

The learned Public Prosecutor, per contra, submitted that the inherent  powers  under  Section  482  of  the  Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, cannot be invoked for the termination of the prosecution proceedings  in  a  case  like  this,  where  there  is  very  serious  allegation pertaining to the commission of rape and penetrative sexual assault upon a child.

The  child  who  is  the  victim  of  the  offence  in  this  case  is presently  aged  only  13  years. It  is  true  that  her  mother  has  filed  an affidavit to the effect that the criminal prosecution against the petitioner was launched by her as an act of retaliation, since she did not like the control exercised by the petitioner upon her free life. But,  it  is well-settled that in cases like this, where the accusation pertains to rape and  POCSO  Act  offences,  the  prosecution cannot be nipped in the bud invoking the powers under Section 482 Cr.P.C. stating the reason that the parents  or  guardian  of  the  victim  had  sorted  out  the  issue  with  the accused. The accusations levelled against the petitioner are to be tested in  the  proceedings  before  the  designated  Court.  If  the  contentions raised  by  the  petitioner  about  the  fabrication of false case against him has got any basis, the Trial Court could very well consider the said aspect at  the  appropriate  stages  including  the  stage  of  hearing  on  framing charges.  However, taking into account of the fact that the petitioner is a senior citizen and that the victim’s mother herself has stated that there was no basis for the accusations levelled against the petitioner, I deem it appropriate to permit the petitioner to appear through his counsel before the Trial Court, except for those occasions where the personal presence of the petitioner is indispensable for the proper conduct of the trial.

In the result, the petition is disposed of as follows:-

(i) The  Trial  Court  shall  not  insist  the  personal  presence  of  the petitioner, except for those occasions where his personal appearance is inevitable in connection with any procedure for the proper conduct of the trial.

(ii)   If  the  petitioner  prefers  to  file  any  petition  for  his  discharge,  it shall  be  disposed  of  on  merit  after  taking  into  account  all  the facts and circumstances of the case including the stand taken by the victim’s mother about the reasons for the registration of this crime.