ORDER

The petitioner/accused No.1 in S.C.No.227 of 2018 has knocked the doors of this Court in the subject petition calling in question order dated 31-12-2021 by which the II Additional District and Sessions Judge, Kolar has added a charge under Section 7 of the POCSO Act (‘the Act’ for short) apart from the allegations which were initially levelled and punishable under Sections 366A, 506 and 34 of the IPC.

2. Heard Sri T.A. Basavaraju, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and Sri K.S. Abhijith, learned High Court Government Pleader for the 1st respondent.

3. The facts, necessary for consideration of the subject lis, are as follows:

A complaint came to be registered on 01-12-2016 on an allegation that when the victim was going to the school at Masthi, the petitioner is said to have asked her to sit on the bike to drop her at the school. The victim sits on the bike and they reached Masthi Dinne where accused 2 and 3 along with accused No.1 kidnapped and taken the victim to Halasumaranadoddi. The purpose of such kidnap was to get her married to accused No.4. The complaint further narrates that she escaped from the clutches of the accused and contacted the complainant and