Mere Public Outcry, Media Coverage Can't Diminish Gravity Of Offence: Delhi High Court Denies Bail In POCSO Case

While denying bail to a man in a POCSO case, the Delhi High Court has observed that mere public outcry and media coverage of the incident cannot diminish the gravity of the offence. “Merely because there was public outcry and media coverage of the incident, gravity of offence does not get diminished,” Justice Girish Kathpalia said. The FIR was registered in 2016 for the offences under Section 302 (murder), 363 (kidnapping) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of Indian Penal Code, 1860, and Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act.It was alleged that the accused committed rape upon an 8 year old girl, strangulated her and hid the dead body in a plastic bag in a pit.The accused submitted that he was falsely implicated in the case under public pressure and glare of media trial. He said that there was doubt as regards the time of death of the deceased girl.Denying bail to the accused, Justice Kathpalia said that while prolonged incarceration is certainly a ground to release the accused on bail, but it is not the solitary ground. “The Court has to keep in mind various judicially sanctified parameters, including the nature and gravity of the alleged crime and the material on record to support the same,” the Court said. It added that at the stage of bail, the Court cannot minutely examine the evidence on record and that the “broad picture” showed the gruesome manner in which an eight year old girl was raped and killed, that too by her own cousin. “It is not just the grave consequences of the offences alleged against the accused/applicant. One also cannot ignore that a relationship of trust between the cousins was exploited by the accused/applicant and in such brutal manner,” the Court said. “Considering the above circumstances, I do not find it a fit case at all to release the accused/applicant on bail. The bail application is dismissed,” it added. Title: PRADEEP @ PIDDI v. STATE OF (GNCT) NEW DELHICitation: 2025 LiveLaw (Del) 921Click here to read order

Mere Public Outcry, Media Coverage Can't Diminish Gravity Of Offence: Delhi High Court Denies Bail In POCSO Case

Nupur Thapliyal

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