(1.) Accused in Special Case (POCSO) No.85 of 2024 pending before the Additional District and Sessions Judge, FTSC-I (POCSO), Kolar, arising out of Crime No.37 of 2024 registered by Nangli Police Station, Kolar for the offences punishable under Ss. 363, 376(2)(n) of the Indian Penal Code and Sec. 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (for short, POCSO Act), is before this Court under Sec. 483 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 seeking regular bail.
(2.) Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned HCGP for Respondent No.1/State. Respondent No.2 though is served has remained unrepresented before this Court.
(3.) FIR in Crime No.37/2024 was registered by Nangli Police Station, Kolar, initially for the offence punishable under Sec. 363 of IPC against the petitioner herein on the basis of the first information dtd. 15/3/2024 received from Respondent No.2 who is the mother of the victim girl aged about 16 years. In the first information, it is averred that the first informant was found missing from the house of the first informant on 14/3/2024. Efforts made to trace her had failed. On enquiry, first informant learnt that the petitioner and two other boys who came in a Car had kidnapped the victim girl in the said Car. During the course of the investigation, the victim girl had returned home on 18/3/2024. She was thereafter subjected to medical examination. Petitioner herein was arrested on 20/3/2024 and subsequently remanded to judicial custody. Investigation is completed and charge-sheet has been filed. Bail application filed by the petitioner before the Trial Court in Special Case (POCSO) No.85 of 2024 was rejected on 11/7/2024. Therefore, he is before this Court.