KOCHI: A diehard fan of the popular South Korean boy band BTS found herself in a dilemma when her father forbade her from following the K-pop group, claiming it violated their religious beliefs.
In a distressing turn of events, the teenager accused her father of sexual assault, which resulted in his imprisonment on December 6.
Hearing the father’s petition, the High Court, on Wednesday, granted him bail and observed that considering the facts and circumstances of the case, the allegations appear to be false.
“Certain circumstances mentioned in the case lead me to conclude that there is a possibility that the allegations may be false. But it may not be proper for this court to make any conclusion regarding the matter while considering the bail application,” said Justice Gopinath P.
In his petition, the father said his daughter has been a hardcore fan of BTS since 2021. He and his wife had opposed it on many occasions terming the obsession un-Islamic, which was unacceptable to the daughter.
“The child’s aunt was instrumental in growing her obsession with the band. This conflict of interest between the aunt on one side and her parents on the other could have been the motivation behind the complaint alleging sexual abuse,” the petition said.
Senior advocate P Vijayabhanu, counsel for the petitioner, submitted that the strained relationship was further aggravated when the father refused his daughter permission for a school trip. “The aunt utilised the opportunity to worsen the relationship. The petitioner also produced 15 photographs showing the warmth of his relationship with his daughter. The investigation was completed and the police filed the chargesheet before the Hosdurg Special Court,” the counsel said.
Chandera police registered a case based on the complaint filed by the 14-year-old, who alleged that her father had on several occasions from June 2020 sexually abused her by touching her private parts. The victim is staying with her aunt, while her mother and younger sister continue to live with the petitioner, supporting him in every manner, said the counsel. The false complaint was filed on the instigation of the aunt.
The prosecution opposed the bail plea, contending that the allegations are very serious. The court said that since the investigation has been completed and the final report filed, the continued detention of the petitioner is not required.