NEW DELHI: The High Court has granted bail to a man accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, citing a major delay in filing complaint. The complaint, lodged over two and a half years after the alleged incident, raised questions about the delay in reporting the crime.
The accused’s counsel, advocate Amit Sahni, argued that the initial FIR regarding allegations of rape was lodged by the victim’s mother on June 29, 2021. The accused was arrested on the same day but was granted bail on July 7, 2021.
The victim’s complaint under the POCSO Act was only filed later, leading the defence to highlight the unexplained delay. Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri stated that the court found it peculiar that, despite the victim’s claim that she had informed her mother of the incident immediately, there was no mention of this in the original FIR.