KARTHIK RAGAV Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner, who was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on 15/2/2022, for the offences punishable under Ss. 5(l) r/w 6 and 12 of POCSO Act, 2012 and Sec. 66(E) IT Act and under Sec. 506(i) of IPC in Crime No.15 of 2022 on the file of the respondent police, seeks bail.

(2.) The case of the prosecution as per the defacto complainant namely Sangeetha is that her husband is working at Australia and she is living with her daughter aged about 16 years. The petitioner is well known to the family of the defacto complainant and during covid pandemic, the petitioner and daughter of the defacto complainant chatted through social media and later developed closeness. While being so, the defacto complainant to secure her daughter from the petitioner, had shifted her residence to coimbatore. Thereafter, the petitioner had gone to Coimbatore, abducted the daughter of the defacto complainant and taken her in a car and committed penetrative sexual assault and also threatened her that he would upload the photos in porn websites and in social media. Hence, the complaint.

(3.) Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner is a well known person to the family of the defacto complainant. During Covid Lockdown, the petitioner and defacto complainant's daughter chatted through social media and later it was developed into love affair. When the same came to the knowledge of the defacto complainant, she attempted to severe the relationship and took her daughter to Coimbatore. Later on the invitation of the defacto complainant's daughter the petitioner went to Coimbatore and they met in a Mall. The defacto complainant got antagonised and she lodged a false complainant against the petitioner and the petitioner was arrested and remanded to judicial custody from 15/2/2022. He would submit that the major part of the investigation is over, the medical examination of the petitioner has been completed and a statement has also been recorded from the victim under Sec. 164 of Cr.P.C. Hence, he prayed to grant bail to the petitioner.