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2024 Supreme(Pat) 894

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CHANDRA SHEKHAR JHA, J.
Criminal Appeal (SJ) No.640 of 2023
(30.10.2024)
Amit Kumar ... Appellant
vs.
State of Bihar. ... Respondent

Advocates:
For the Appellant : M/s Dhananjay Kumar, Abhinav Pandey.
For the Respondent: Mr. Ramchandra Singh, APP.

Headnote:

Indian Penal Code, 1860 – Section 376 (2) (f) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act), 2012 – Section 6 – Appellant committing rape of a six year old girl – Deposition of P.W. 5, who is claiming to be an eye-witness, appearing false on its face and appears to be stated only to aggravate the allegation to establish assault under the category of penetrative sexual assault – PW-3 (mother of the victim) entered room before entering of PW-5 but she did not find, appellant in the position as it was narrated by PW-5 – PW-2 (father of the victim) deposing that PW-3 had no mobile with her and, therefore, her statement that she informed the occurrence on her mobile appears contradictory – PW-3, when she found appellant doing wrong work with the victim, shouted, where after PW-5 came over there, and caught the appellant while running away from there – This version also cast a doubt over testimony of PW-5 – No cloth of the victim or appellant was seized nor anything objectionable was found at place of occurrence by the I.O. – PW-2 deposing that occurrence was reported to the police by him, which further creates a doubt regarding claim of PW-3, as she informed the police regarding occurrence – Parents of victim including the victim herself consistently deposed her age on the date of occurrence to be of about six years, where on radiological examination she was found somewhere between 12-13 years – If the version of the victim and PW-2 & 3 regarding age be accepted, it is almost impossible to commit a penetrative assault in standing position as said – According to PW-5, age of the victim was about 21 years – Medical examination of appellant not brought on record, which may be a good corroborative piece of evidence – Prosecution thus failed to establish the allegation of "penetration as to any extent" to bring an offence within the meaning of Section 3 of the POCSO Act – Conviction under Section 6 of the POCSO Act is doubtful – Son of the informant who was also taking tuition from appellant, not examined, who could be a best witness otherwise – Prosecution failed to establish the foundational aspects of the crime in question as to import the presumption available under Sections 29 & 30 of the POCSO Act – Appeal allowed – Conviction and sentence set aside. (Paras 29 to 35)

Panchhi Vs. State of U.P., 1998 (7) SCC 177; State of Jharkhand Vs. Shailendra Kumar Rai & Pandav Rai, Criminal Appeal 1441 of 2022 dated 31.10.2022, (2022) 14 SCC 299; Vishnu Vs. State of Maharashtra, (2006) 1 SCC 283; Pradeep Vs. State of Haryana, 2023 SCC OnLine SC 777; Jarnail Singh Vs. State of Haryana, (2013) 7 SCC 263; Chotkau Vs. State of Uttar Pradesh, AIR 2022 SC 4688 – Relied.

Chandra Shekhar Jha, J.—The present appeal preferred by appellant/ convict Amit Kumar against judgment of conviction dated 02.12.2022 and the impugned order of sentence dated 05.12.2022 passed by the learned Additional District and Sessions Judge VII-cum-Exclusive Special Judge (POCSO Act), Patna, in CIS No. Special (POCSO) Case No. 30 of 2019, arising out of Bihta P.S. Case No. 214 of 2019 whereby and whereunder the appellant/convict has been convicted for the offences under Section 376(2)(f) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 of the POCSO Act and sentenced him to undergo R.I. for ten years and fine of Rs. 30,000/- (Rupees thirty thousand only) for the offence under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and in default of payment of fine, he shall further undergo two months of R.I.

2. The crux of prosecution case, as it appears from the written information of the informant, namely, Pinki Devi (PW-3) that the accused/appellant was giving tuition to her daughter aged about 6 years since last three years usually between 4-5 P.M. at her house. On 23.02.2019 appellant was teaching to her daughter and son alongwith three other childrens of locality as usual. In due course of teaching, he asked her son and other childrens to go out from the room. She thought that the teacher/appellant had left her house but when she went to room, she saw that the accused/appellant has made her daughter naked by taking her in the corner of the room and was committing rape upon her, she raised cry. Upon her cry her sister-in-law, namely Punam Devi and her Gotni came running there and caught the accused/appellant. In the meantime, neighboring people also arrived there. Thereafter, she informed to police, upon which police arrived there and arrested the accused/appellant. Thereafter, she submitted her written application before the police and this case was instituted.

3. With aforesaid written information of PW- 3/informant, Bihta P.S. Case No. 214/2019 was lodged for the offences under section 376(2)(f) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 of the POCSO Act.

4. After investigation, police submitted charge sheet No. 151 of 2019 on 21.05.2019 under Section 376(2)(f) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 of the POCSO Act. Thereafter, learned trial court took cognizance against the appellant for the offence under Section 376(2)(f) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 of the POCSO Act for trial and disposal.

5. To established its case before the learned trial court, the prosecution altogether examined total of six witnesses, namely, PW-1 Kumari Usha Sinha (I.O. of this case) PW-2 Sanjay Kumar Yadav (father of the victim), PW-3 Pinki Devi (mother of the victim/informant), PW-4 Victim herself, PW-5 Poonam Kumari (Aunty of the victim) and PW-6 Dr. Prema Singh, who examined the victim.

6. The prosecution also exhibited following documents during the trial to substantiate its case which are as:—

Exhibit-P1—The endorsement made over the informant written report dated 23.02.2019 by the officer-in-charge of the Bihta Police Station.

Exhibit–P-2—The formal FIR.

Exhibit-P-3—(PW-3) The written report dated 23.02.2019.

Exhibit-P-4—(PW-4) The statement recorded under Section 164 Cr.P.C.

Exhibit-P-5—(PW-6) The Medical Report.

7. On the basis of evidences, as surfaced during the trial, the appellant/convict was examined under Section 313 of the Cr.P.C., where he denied all the evidences as surfaced against him during trial and claimed his complete innocence and false implication.

8. No defence witnesses/documents were examined on behalf of accused/appellant during the trial.

9. On the basis of aforesaid evidences, learned trial court convicted the appellant and passed order of sentence, as aforesaid, being aggrieved with, appellant/convict preferred the present appeal.

10. Hence the present appeal.

11. It is submitted by Mr. Dhananjay Kumar learned counsel appearing on behalf of the appellant/convict that the false implication of appellant can be easily gathered that the mother of victim me

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