IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA
Cr. MP(M) No. 719 2017
Decided on: 24th July, 2017
.
Sunil Kumar ….Petitioner.
Versus
…Respondent.
State of Himachal Pradesh.
Coram
The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Chander Bhusan Barowalia, Judge.
Whether approved for reporting?1 Yes.
For the petitioner: Mr. Sanjeev Kuthiala, Advocate.
For the respondent: Mr. Pushpinder Jaswal, Dy. AG,
with Mr. Rajat Chauhan, Law
Officer.
SI Ram Nath, I.O. Police Station
Bhuntar, District Kullu, H.P.
_
Chander Bhusan Barowalia, Judge (oral).
The present bail application has been maintained by
the petitioner under Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure
seeking his release in case FIR No. 182 of 2016, dated 05.07.2016,
under Sections 363, 366A, 376, 506 of Indian Penal Code, 1860
(for short “IPC”) and Section 4 of Protection of Children from
Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (for short “POCSO Act”), registered at
Police Station Bhuntar, District Kullu, H.P.
2. As per the petitioner, he is innocent and has been
falsely implicated in the present case. He is neither in a position to
1
Whether reporters of Local Papers may be allowed to see the judgment? Yes.
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tamper with the prosecution evidence nor in a position to flee from
justice, so he may be released on bail.
3. Police report stands filed. As per the prosecution,
.
03.12.2016 the prosecutrix (name withheld) reported the matter to
the police alleging that she is studying in 8th class, in Khokhan
School. The prosecutrix has further alleged that she received a call
on her mobile No. 96253-44840 from mobile No. 70188-09842 and
the person calling divulged his name as Shilu (the petitioner
herein). The petitioner told her that he wants to marry her and
thereafter the prosecutrix and the petitioner remained in talking
terms with each other. On 27.11.2016, when she alongwith her
sister went to bazaar, the petitioner telephoned her and he came in
a vehicle. He forcibly took them to Manikaran, where they stayed
there in a hotel where the petitioner committed sexual intercourse
with her. On 28th November, 2016, the petitioner dropped the
sister of the prosecutrix at Shamshi and he forcibly took the
prosecutrix to Jhiri. She was made to stay in a hotel at Jhiri for
two days, where also the petitioner committed sexual intercourse
with her. Thereafter, the petitioner went to Chandigarh and he
asked the petitioner to stay at Jhiri. On 02.12.2016 the
prosecutrix reached her home and on 03.12.2016 she narrated the
entire episode to her mother. The investigation in the case was
conducted and the accused was arrested and after completion of
the investigation, the challan was presented in the learned Trial
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Court and the case is listed for consideration on charge on
09.08.2017. Lastly, the prosecution has prayed that the bail
application of the petitioner may be dismissed.
.
4. Heard. The learned counsel for the petitioner has
argued that the petitioner is innocent and taking into
consideration the medical of the prosecutrix and the fact that the
petitioner is a married man, he may be released on bail. He has
further argued that there is nothing to suggest the involvement of
the petitioner. Conversely, the learned Deputy Advocate General
has argued that the petitioner has committed a serious offence and
he is directly responsible for taking the petitioner and keeping her
at different places, so the present is a fit case where the bail is
required to be dismissed.
5. I have gone through the rival contentions of the parties
and the police record in detail.
6. At this stage, taking into consideration the material,
which has come on record, allegations leveled against the
petitioner and the age of the prosecutrix, this Court finds that the
petitioner is in a position to tamper with the prosecution evidence
and he is also in a position to flee from justice, thus the present is
not a fit case where the judicial discretion to admit the petitioner
on bail is required to be exercised in his favour.
7. The petition, which sans merit, deserves dismissal and
is accordingly disposed of. However, keeping in view the overall
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aspects of the case and the request made by the learned counsel
for the petitioner seeking a direction to the learned Trial Court for
expeditious disposal of the matter, the learned Trail Court is
.
expected to dispose of the matter as expeditiously as possible and
the parties are also expected to make every endeavour to assist the
learned Trail Court for speedy disposal of the case.
(Chander Bhusan Barowalia)
24th July, 2017 Judge
(virender)
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