RAJASTHAN HIGH COURT
HON'BLE NIRMAL KAUR, J.
Sanchita Gupta @ Shilpi
Versus
State of Rajasthan
S.B. Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. 7212 of 2013, decided on 25.09.2013
Bail application dismissed.
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Hon'ble KAUR, J.—The present bail application has been filed under Section 438 of the Cr.P.C. The petitioner is apprehending her arrest in connection with C.R. Case No.122/2013, P.S. Mahila Thana (West), Jodhpur for the offence under Sections 342, 376, 354-A, 506, 509/34 of the IPC, Section 23 & 26 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 and under Section 8 of the Protection of Children from sexual offences Act, 2012.
2. Learned counsel for the petitioner while praying for bail submitted that the petitioner is an unmarried girl. She joined Asa Ram Gurukul, Chhindwara (M.P.) only in the month of April, 2013. There is no allegation against her. The only evidence available with the Investigating Agency to connect the petitioner with the offence are the telephone calls between her, the co-accused Shiva and Prakash. However, no text of the said conversation is available. Hence, the said telephone calls between three of them cannot be taken into consideration. Reliance was placed upon the judgment of this Court rendered in the case of Prahlad Sharma vs. State of Rajasthan, reported in 2010(1) Cr.L.R. (Raj.) 380.
3. Learned counsel further argued that as per the medical report, there was no sign of rape having been committed. The prosecutrix was no a minor. The allegations are only of attempt. Hence, no offence under Section 376/34 of the IPC or Section 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 is made out against the petitioner. Reliance was placed upon the judgment rendered by Hon'ble the Apex Court in the case of Siddharam Satlingappa Mhetre vs. State of Maharashtra & Ors., reported in (2011) 1 Supreme Court Cases (Cri.) 514 to contend that great ignominy, humiliation and disgrace is attached to arrest and in cases where court is of considered view that accused has joined investigation and is not likely to abscond, in that event, custodial interrogation should be avoided and anticipatory bail should be granted.
4. It was also contended that accused-petitioner neither hatched the criminal conspiracy with the other accused-persons nor sent prosecutrix to village Manai where the said offence is stated to have been committed. Learned counsel for the petitioner vehemently argued that Asa Ram had never met the prosecutrix. Hence, the question the present petitioner acting at the behest of Asa Ram to send the girl to Ashram does not arise. Further, the petitioner never talked to Asa Ram or his Sevak Shiva on telephone. She never met Asa Ram while she was working on the post and Asa Ram has also never met her. Asa Ram is only a trustee of the said Gurukul and he has no direct control over the Gurukul.
5. It was further stated that the petitioner has already faced the interrogation by the police and her statement was also recorded. Hence, the accused-petitioner is not required for investigation. However, if the Investigating Agency requires her for further investigation, she was ready to appear before the Investigating Agency. Learned counsel for the petitioner concluded his argument by stating that the petitioner is a young lady. She had no knowledge and nor was there any communication between her and main accused Asa Ram. She is only a Warden of the Gurukul. She simply guided the parents of the prosecutrix to show her to a good doctor. Since the petitioner had already joined the investigation and was further ready to cooperate with the investigation, her custodial interrogation is not necessary.
6. Reliance was placed upon the judgment rendered by Delhi High Court in the case of Renu Vij vs. State, reported in 2011(6) AD (Delhi) 153, wherein it was held that mere knowledge is not sufficient and there should be a meeting of minds of two or more persons for doing as illegal act or an act by illegal means to contend that in the absence of any evidence of knowledge or connivance, Section 120-B cannot be invoked in her case.
7. Learned Additional Advocate General while opposing the bail denie
Jai Prakash Singh vs. The State of Bihar & Anr. etc. ((2012) 4 SCC 379) 13
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