P.P.Prasad vs State Of Kerala

Dr. Kauser Edappagath, J

This is an application filed u/s 439 of Code of Criminal Procedure seeking regular bail.

The petitioners are the accused Nos. 1 & 2 in Crime No.92/2022 of Kolathur Police Station. The offences alleged are under Sections 363 & 377 of IPC and Sections 6, 5(l) & 5(n) of the POCSO Act.

The prosecution case in short is that about 7 months prior to the registration of the crime, while the victim, a 15 year old boy, was sleeping with the 1st petitioner, she had touched his private area and had attempted to have sexual intercourse with the victim, and 2 days thereafter, both the petitioners without the knowledge of the parents of the victim, took the victim to a hotel near Mannarkkad and committed sexual assault on the victim.

Heard both sides and perused the case diary.

The learned counsel for the petitioners submitted that the petitioners are absolutely innocent and they have been falsely implicated in the present case. He further submitted that there are no materials to connect the petitioners with the alleged crime and hence they are entitled to get bail. The learned Public Prosecutor opposed the bail application. He contended that the alleged incident occurred as a part of the intentional criminal acts of the petitioners and if the petitioners are released on bail at this stage, it would affect the course of investigation.

Perusal of the case diary would reveal that prima facie there are materials on record to connect the petitioners with the crime. However, the petitioners were remanded to judicial custody on 5.3.2022. In view of the nature of the crime and the stage of investigation, I do not find any reason to hold that the continued detention of the petitioners is required for any purpose. The investigation seems to have reached a fair stage. For all these reasons, the petitioners are entitled to be released on bail on conditions.

In the result, the application is allowed on the following conditions:-

(i) The petitioners shall be released on bail on executing a bond for Rs.1,00,000/- (Rupees One lakh only) each with two solvent sureties for the like sum each to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional Magistrate/Court.

(ii) The petitioners shall fully co-operate with the investigation.

(iii) The petitioners shall appear before the investigating officer between 10.00 a.m and 11.00 a.m on every Saturday until further orders. The petitioners shall also appear before the investigating officer as and when required by him.

(iv) The petitioners shall not commit any offence of like nature while on bail.

(v) The petitioners shall not make any attempt to contact any of the prosecution witnesses, directly or through any other person, or any other way try to tamper with the evidence or influence any witnesses or other persons related to the investigation.

(vi) The petitioners shall not leave State of Kerala without the permission of the trial Court.