Raghunandan Vs State of U.P. Thru. Prin… — Child Sexual Offences (POCSO) | Allahabad HC (2025)

Raghunandan Vs State of U.P. Thru. Prin… — Child Sexual Offences (POCSO) | Allahabad HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Applicant Raghunandan enlarged/released on bail in FIR No.280 of 2024 on furnishing a personal bond with two sureties of Rs.20,000/- each, subject to conditions: (a) execute a bond to attend hearings; (b) not commit any offence similar to that of which he is accused or suspected; (c) not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts so as to dissuade disclosure to the Court or police officer or tamper with the evidence.

Issue for consideration

Whether the applicant, accused in FIR No.280 of 2024 under Sections 137(2), 64(1) BNS and Sections 5/6 POCSO Act (P.S. Jay Singhpur, District Sultanpur), should be enlarged on bail. +1 more

Court's answer

Considering the facts and circumstances, the huge variance in the statements, and the tentative age of the victim (17 years), and expressly without commenting upon the merits of the case, the applicant is entitled to be enlarged on bail; accordingly, the bail application is allowed.

Ratio / Principle

The applicant shall be released on bail in the aforesaid FIR on furnishing a personal bond with two sureties of Rs.20,000/- each to the satisfaction of the court concerned, undertaking (a) to attend hearings, (b) not to commit any similar offence, and (c) not to make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts so as to dissuade disclosure to the Court/police or tamper with the evidence.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

BAIL GRANTED - POCSO/BNS CASES (Allahabad High Court, Lucknow Bench): Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. 1118 of 2025, decided October 9, 2025 by Hon'ble Pankaj Bhatia, J. Applicant Raghunandan, accused in FIR No.280 of 2024, P.S. Jay Singhpur, District Sultanpur, under Sections 137(2), 64(1) BNS and Sections 5/6 POCSO Act, was enlarged on bail. Counsel argued the FIR was originally lodged as a missing person report alleging the daughter of the applicant was enticed by unknown persons, and that the victim subsequently did not support the prosecution story in her statements, stating that both of them have married. Weighing the huge variance in the statements together with the tentative age of the victim (17 years), and expressly without commenting upon the merits of the case, the Court held the applicant entitled to be enlarged on bail and allowed the application. Release ordered on a personal bond with two sureties of Rs.20,000/- each, with conditions requiring attendance at hearings, abstention from similar offences, and abstention from inducement, threat or promise to dissuade disclosure of facts or tamper with evidence.

HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD LUCKNOW CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 1118 of 2025

Raghunandan

.....Applicant(s)

Versus

State Of U.P. Thru. Prin. Secy. Home U.P. Lko. And 3 Others .....Opposite Party(s)

Counsel for Applicant(s) : Naresh Singh, Ram Prakash Verma, Sukh Deo Singh Counsel for Opposite Party(s) : G.A. Court No. - 12

HON'BLE PANKAJ BHATIA, J.

1. Heard learned counsel for the applicant, learned AGA and perused the record.

2. The applicant seeks enlargement on bail in FIR No.280 of 2024, under Sections 137(2), 64(1) BNS and Sections 5/6 POCSO Act, P.S. Jay Singhpur, District Sultanpur.

3. Learned counsel for the applicant argues that the FIR in question was lodged as missing person report alleging that the daughter of the applicant was enticed by some unknown persons. Subsequently the victim did not support the prosecution story in her statements and stated that both of them have married.

4. Learned AGA has opposed the bail application.

5. Considering the facts and circumstances and in view of the huge variance in the statements coupled with the fact that the tentative age of the victim is 17 years, however, without commenting upon the merits of the case, the applicant is entitled to be enlarged on bail. In view thereof, the application is allowed.

6. Let the applicant Raghunandan be released on bail in aforesaid FIR number on his furnishing a personal bond with two sureties of Rs.20,000/each to the satisfaction of court concerned with the following conditions:

BAIL No. 1118 of 2025

2

(a) The applicant shall execute a bond to undertake to attend the hearings;

(b) The applicant shall not commit any offence similar to the offence of which he is accused or suspected of the commission; and

(c) The applicant 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.

(Pankaj Bhatia,J.)

October 9, 2025

J. K. Dinkar

Digitally signed by :- JESHU KUMAR DINKAR High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench