Allahabad HC Grants Interim Bail To POCSO Accused In ‘Interfaith Relation’ To Look After Pregnant Victim; To Review His Conduct In September
The Allahabad Excessive Court docket on Tuesday granted two-month interim bail to a person accused beneath the POCSO Act and the BNS, directing him to take care of the minor sufferer, who belongs to a distinct religion, is 5 months pregnant and is alleged to be in a relationship with him.
The order was handed by a bench of Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan, who clarified that the Court docket would contemplate whether or not to increase the interim bail or make it absolute on the following date (September 3), primarily based on the ‘conduct’ of the applicant and the satisfaction of the sufferer and her mom.
“The applicant and prosecutrix alongwith her mom, who’s complainant shall seem in particular person earlier than the Court docket on 03rd September, 2025 to apprise the Court docket as to whether or not the current applicant is correctly taking care of the prosecutrix and additionally to know as as to if the prosecutrix is glad with the efforts and help of the applicant”, the Court docket recorded in its order.
Importantly, the Court docket additionally took observe of the truth that each events are keen to marry beneath the Particular Marriage Act as soon as they attain a legally permissible age. Accordingly, the Court docket directed that:
“As quickly as each the events attained the marriageable age, they shall apply their marriage beneath Particular Marriage Act and shall get their marriage registered earlier than the marriage registration authority”.
Within the meantime, the applicant has been directed to take care of the sufferer correctly and to supply her with all crucial medical services that are required for her beneath the situation of being pregnant.
Briefly put, the applicant (Satyam Sonkar @ Badkau), aged 20 years and eight months, is in custody since March 6, 2025 within the current case going through fees beneath Sections 137(2), 87, 64(1) of the BNS and Sections 5J(11)/6 of the POCSO Act.
Earlier than the Court docket, the applicant’s counsel submitted that the applicant and the sufferer had already married of their very own will, although it was not a “social marriage” as each are beneath the legally permissible marriageable age, the woman being approx 17 years outdated.
It was additional submitted that the connection had led to a being pregnant, however the applicant was keen to get married formally beneath the Particular Marriage Act and to take full duty for the sufferer as his spouse.
Supporting the plea, the counsel for the complainant/mom of the sufferer knowledgeable the Court docket that the household had no objection to the proposed marriage between the applicant and the sufferer.
In opposition to this backdrop, taking into consideration the curiosity of the sufferer and her unborn baby in addition to the willingness of the events to get married, the Court docket directed that the applicant could also be launched on interim bail for 2 months in order that he can step out of jail and take care of the sufferer.
The Court docket made it clear that the continuation of bail would depend upon the conduct of the applicant and the welfare of the prosecutrix throughout this era. The subsequent listening to is scheduled for September 3.
Case title – Satyam Sonkar @ Badkau vs. State Of U.P. Through. Prin. Secy. Residence Deptt. Lko. And three Others
