IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI
SUBHASH CHAND, J.
Amitabh Dutta @ Amitav Dutta, S/o. Ajit Dutta - Petitioner
Versus
The State of Jharkhand & Ors. - Opposite Parties
Cr. Revision No. 905 of 2022
Decided On : 31-08-2023
Indian Penal Code, 1860 – Section 341, 323, 363, 313, 328, 376 & 34 – Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 – POCSO Act – Section 4 & 6 – Juvenile Justice Board Act, 2015 – Section 94 – Aggravated penetrative sexual assault – Commits penetrative sexual assault – Presumption and determination of age – Order of acquittal – Offence of rape – Framing charge – Held, Court are of opinion that High Court committed a serious error in passing impugned judgment insofar as it entered into realm of appreciation of evidence at stage of framing charge itself – Jurisdiction of learned Sessions Judge while exercising power under Section 227 of Code of Criminal Procedure is limited – Charge can be framed on basis of strong suspicion – Marshalling and appreciation of the evidence is not in domain of Court at point of time – Court of considered view that impugned order passed by court below does not bear any illegality and same needs no interference – Criminal revision petition dismissed.
JUDGMENT :
Subhash Chand, J.
This criminal revision has been preferred on behalf of petitioner, namely, Amitabh Dutta @ Amitav Dutta against the order dated 27.07.2022 passed by the learned Special Judge, POCSO, Dhanbad in Spl. POCSO Case No.62 of 2022 arising out of Bankmore P.S. Case No.311 of 2021 whereby and whereunder the discharge application moved on behalf of the petitioner had been rejected.
2. The learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted the learned court below has failed to appreciate the evidence in its entirety while rejecting the discharge application of the petitioner. The court below has failed to appreciate the allegations made in the FIR vis-a-vis the investigation done by the investigating officer. There is no iota of evidence to show that the petitioner had sexually assaulted or abused the informant. The pattern of implication in this case itself shows that the prosecution story was concocted. No offence under the POCSO Act is made out. The victim was not minor on the date of occurrence. The most impeachable evidence produced by the petitioner in regard to the date of birth was the Pan Card number as well as the running bank account of the informant, these two document showed the date of birth mentioned by the informant was false and accordingly, contended to allow this criminal revision and to set aside the impugned order passed by the court below.
3. The learned APP on behalf of the State has vehemently opposed the contentions made by the learned counsel for the petitioner and contended that the impugned order passed by the court below is based on the allegations made in the FIR and also evidence collected by the investigating officer during investigation. Consequently, same bears no illegality and needs no interference.
4. It is the settled law that while framing charge or disposing the application for discharge moved on behalf of accused the trial court has to go through the allegations made in the FIR and also the evidence collected by the investigating officer oral or documentary during investigation and if on the basis of the allegations and evidence collected by the investigating officer there are sufficient ground to proceed with the trial only then the charge could have been framed.
5. The prosecution case as per FIR version is that the informant given the written information with the police station concerned on 30.11.2021 with these allegations that about six years ago Amitabh Dutta bearing mobile nos. 9535349059, 8873166484 and 7225954455 who is resident of Siddi Apartment Devipara, Hirapur, PS Dhanbad, District Dhanbad had taken her from her mother on the pretext to provide job to the informant in his house. He also assured the mother of informant that taking into consideration the economic condition he would also arrange her marriage at his own expenses. The wife of Amitabh Dutta had gone alongwith her daughter to Ranchi for education. In the meantime, Amitabh Dutta began to establish physical relation forcibly after administering her with some intoxicant. Having come to know the same she wept and this Amitabh Dutta criminally intimidated her and also allured the informant that he would get her marry with some an officer. He would give her the name of him as a father. On this allurement, he continued to rape her. The informant also became pregnant many times, however the fetus was aborted. On 04.11.2021 abortion was also done by administering the medicine to the informant. On 23.11.2021 the son of Amitabh Dutta came and he began to knock the door of the room as she opened the door he dropped her on the ground and in order to outrage the modesty of the informant also pulled her cloths and ultimately raped her. Amitabh Dutta and his son both had criminally intimidated her. On 29.11.2021 Amitabh Dutta, his wife, son and daughter made attempt to abduct her. Amitabh Dutta asked her not to file the case and in lieu of the same, he would give her a huge amount. He also stated that in failure he wou
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While framing charge or disposing application for discharge moved on behalf of accused trial court has to go through allegations made in FIR and also evidence collected by investigating officer.
Consent between parties close to the age of majority does not invoke provisions of POCSO Act, and medical age determination takes precedence over educational documents for assessing age of victim.
The prosecution must prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, and the quality of evidence is essential in criminal law.
The prosecution must establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, with sufficient and credible evidence; failure to do so invalidates a conviction.
The court held that discrepancies in the victim's testimony and lack of corroborating evidence created reasonable doubt, leading to the appellant's acquittal.
The conviction under the POCSO Act requires substantial evidence beyond mere suspicion; failure to prove such evidence necessitates acquittal.
The main legal point established in the judgment is the reliance on school records, legal precedents, and medical evidence to establish the victim's age and prove the aggravated penetrative sexual as....
The judgment establishes the importance of proving the victim's age in cases of sexual offenses against minors and highlights the legal provisions under the POCSO Act and the Indian Penal Code for de....
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