Sagar Gautam Sable v. the State of Maharashtra
Case brief
What is this about?
POCSO criminal appeal, Bombay High Court, Aurangabad Bench — kidnapping from lawful guardianship (S.363 IPC) upheld where the accused made the initial telephone proposal and took the 11-year-old victim to Karnpura and then to his house; S. Varadarajan v. State of Madras, AIR 1965 SC 942 distinguished on 'taking'; rape conviction under S.376-AB IPC and penetrative sexual assault under S.4(2) POCSO set aside — answer to leading question in examination-in-chief ignored, medical evidence showed no injury, no penetration/insertion/manipulation; sexual assault (S.8 POCSO) and sexual harassment (S.354-A(2) IPC) convictions maintained on the sole testimony of the child victim; sterling witness standard discussed (Ganesan, AIR 2020 SC 5019; Rai Sandeep, (2012) 8 SCC 21); presumptions under Sections 29-30 POCSO not rebutted; victim's age proved by birth certificate (Exh. 27, DOB 19.09.2010); total fine Rs. 56,000/- with Rs. 25,000/- to the victim under S.4(3) POCSO; appeal partly allowed.