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2023 Supreme(Bom) 427

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY BENCH AT AURANGABAD
VIBHA KANKANWADI, Y.G. KHOBRAGADE, JJ.
XYZ - Appellant
Versus
The State of Maharashtra – Respondent
Criminal Appeal No. 15 of 2021
Decided on : 06-03-2023

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant :Mr. Amol S. Gandhi, Advocate
For the Respondent:Mr. R.D. Sanap, Mr. B.S. Doifode h/for Mr. S.S. Randive, advocate

Headnote:

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 - Section 372 - Indian Penal Code, 1860 - Sections 376(2) - Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 - Section 4, 2(d) - Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 - Sexual intercourse against her wish - Assured to perform marriage - Appeal against acquittal - Appellant invoked jurisdiction of Court passed by learned Special Judge in Special (POCSO) Case whereby present respondent No.2-accused is acquitted of offence – Held, DNA reports prove that respondent/accused is not biological father of female child born to appellant - Now appellant wants to say that action of giftdeed, marriage with her, compromise-deed etc. are design of accused to get acquittal - She has not given details now as to how alleged fraud has been committed on her to enter into compromise-deed - It was in judicial process and therefore unless details of fraud are given, Court cannot take cognizance of it - Even in respect of marriage, it appears that she performed marriage with accused knowing fact that he was already married and has to children - Therefore, grounds set out in appeal are not substantial to interfere with findings recorded by trial Court - Appellant/victim herself turned hostile and did not support prosecution case and no substantial evidence brought on record to constitute offence under section 376(2) of IPC and section 4 of POCSO Act as against accused - Therefore, learned trial court passed impugned judgment and order and acquitted accused, which is itself justifiable while acquitting accused - Appeal dismissed.

JUDGMENT :

Y.G. Khobragade, J.

1. The appellant/original complainant invoked jurisdiction of this Court under section 372 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and assailed judgment and order dated 13.06.2018 passed by the learned Special Judge, Beed in Special (POCSO) Case No. 5 of 2017, whereby the present respondent No.2-accused is acquitted of the offence punishable under sections 376(2) of the Indian Penal Code and under section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (for short 'POCSO Act).

2. In short, it is the case of the prosecution that on 15.07.2013, the informant/victim lodged a report with Georai Police Station, District Beed that alleging she is resident of village Raj-Pimpri and in the year 2010, she was residing at the house of her aunt at village Savargaon Tq. Majalgaon Dist.Beed for her education. Prior to three years of lodging of the report, she returned back to reside with her parents. When she was residing at her aunt's house, the accused Nitin Bhagwan Panchal who is son of her aunt was serving as Teacher in Ashram School at Georai and he was in visiting term at her house at Sawargaon. The victim and accused are relative. Therefore they were acquainted to each other. The informant/victim alleged that prior to 8-9 months of lodging of the report, accused visited at her house in the evening time and stayed at her house. On that day, when her parents and brother were in sitting-room watching TV, and she was doing household work in the backside room, at that time, the accused entered in the said room, gagged her mouth, performed sexual intercourse against her wish but she did not disclose said fact to anybody because she was afraid. However, again after one month, the accused again visited at her house alongwith his mother and in that night her father, brother and accused were sleeping in sitting-room whereas she, her mother and sister were seating in another room. Thereafter, her mother, her aunt and sister went to sleep in open space, she was alone in the room and at that time, the accused entered in said room and performed sexual intercourse with her and assured her to perform marriage with her and due to said sexual intercourse she conceived and faced stomach paining, therefore she disclosed said fact to her mother. Thereafter, her aunt, and mother checked her and realized about conceivement of three and half months. On the basis of the said report, Crime No. 127 of 2013 registered against the respondent No.2- accused for the offence punishable under section 376(2) of the Indian Penal Code.

3. The victim was referred for medical examination. Investigating officer recorded statement of witnesses and arrested accused on 15.07.2013 under the arrest panchnama Exh. 67. The investigating officer collected documents pertaining to age i.e. school admission record of the victim and found that victim was below the age of 18 years, therefore, Section 4 of the POCSO Act added in Crime No 127 of 2013. After completion of the investigation, charge sheet came to be filed on 07.10.2013. Since the offence pertaining to POCSO Act, it was registered as Special Case and tried by the special court as per the provisions of the POCSO Act. The learned trial court framed charge against the accused for the offences punishable under section 376 (2) of the IPC and section 4 of the POCSO Act at Exh. 17. The plea of accused was recorded at Exh. 18. The accused pleaded not guilty and claimed for trial.

4. In order to prove the charges, the prosecution examined victim PW-1 at Exhibit 58 and PW-2, father of victim at Exhibit 60. The prosecution produced documentary evidence i.e. Spot panchanama, Medical report of victim, arrest panchanama, school admission record, DNA reports. The respondent accused admitted those documentary evidence under section 294 of the Cr.P.C. Therefore, admitted documents are exhibited as under:

Spot Panchanama Exhibit 61, Medical examination reports of victim at Exhs .62, 63, 64, 65 and 66, arrest

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