HENSON REYMOND Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This petition is filed under Sec. 439 of Cr.P.C. seeking regular bail of the petitioner in Crime No.194/2021 (Spl.C.C.No.125/2022) of Bellanduru Police Station, Bangalore, for the offence punishable under Ss. 376 , 354A and 506 of IPC and Ss. 4 , 6 , 8 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 ('POCSO Act' for short).

(2.) Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned High Court Government Pleader appearing for the respondent-State.

(3.) The factual matrix of the case of the prosecution is that this petitioner is the neighbour of the victim girl/C.W.2 and was having acquaintance with C.W.1 and C.W.2 used to go to his house to see the cat frequently. In the month of August 2021, in the evening at 4.00 p.m., when C.W.1 and C.W.3, who are the parents of the victim girl, went to J.P. Nagar, taking advantage of C.W.2 was alone in the house, he secured her to his house and made her to sit on the sofa and gave some substance to drink and thereafter he subjected her for sexual act and also caused life threat not to reveal the same to anybody. Based on the complaint filed by the mother of the victim girl, the police have registered the case, investigated the matter and filed the charge-sheet invoking the offence under Ss. 376 , 354A and 506 of IPC and Ss. 4, 6, 8 and 12 of the POCSO Act.