ORDER :

Bail petitioner namely Sunil Kumar, who is behind the bars since 8.11.2021, has approached this court in the instant proceedings filed under Section 439 Cr.PC, for grant of regular bail, in case FIR No. 354/21 dated 7.11.2021, registered at Police Station Balh, District Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, under Sections 363, 366, 504, 506 and 376 of the IPC and Sections 04 and 16 of the POCSO Act.

2. Pursuant to order dated 27.12.2021, respondent-state has filed the status report. SI Rajat Rana, PS Balh, is also present with the records. Records perused and returned. Close scrutiny of record/status report reveals that on 7.11.2021, complainant Prakash Chand, lodged a complaint at PS Balh, alleging therein that his daughter i.e. victim-prosecutrix (name withheld), who is 17 years old and student of BA, 1st year, at 9:00 am, had gone to college at Mandi, but when she did not return to home till 5:00 pm, he contacted her friend Ms. Neha. Complainant alleged that he has come to know that the bail petitioner Sunil Kumar has made his daughter to elope with him. When he tried to contact the bail petitioner on his phone number, bail petitioner informed that he has solemnized marriage with her.