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* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Judgment reserved on: 10.11.2025 Judgment pronounced on: 10.12.2025 Judgment uploaded on: 11.12.2025 + CRL.A. 168/2025 & CRL.M.(BAIL) 291/2025 DARSHAN MOHAR .....Appellant Through: Ms. Sakshi Sachdeva and Ms.

Ritika Rajput, Advocates versus STATE OF NCT OF DELHI AND ANR. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Naresh Kumar Chahar, APP for the State with SI Shivali, SI Ravi Rathee, SI Vaishali Kaushik, DPA Jharoda Kalan Mr. Arvind Kumar, Advocate for Victim. CORAM:

HON'BLE DR. JUSTICE SWARANA KANTA SHARMA

J U D G M E N T

Index to the Judgment FACTUAL BACKGROUND ................................................................... 3 SUBMISSIONS BEFORE THE COURT ........................................... 5 ANALYSIS & FINDINGS ................................................................... 7 A. Age of the Victim .......................................................................................... 7 B. Appreciation of Prosecution Evidence ...................................................... 8 Testimonies of the Victim and her family members ........................... 8 Testimonies of the I.O. and the Doctors concerned ......................... 14 C. Presumptions under the POCSO Act ...................................................... 18 D. Defence put forth by the Accused ............................................................ 20 E. Contentions of Accused qua Inconsistencies in the Victim’s Testimony, Delay in Lodging FIR and Lack of Medical Evidence ................................. 23 Importance of recording demeanour of a witness: Section 280 of Cr.P.C. ......................................................................................... 26 F. Prosecution Case Proven Beyond Reasonable Doubt ........................... 30 G. Degradation of Product of Conception and Consequent Failure of DNA Profiling .................................................................................................... 32 Explanation tendered by the concerned CFSL Officer before this Court ........................................................................................... 34 Existing Guidelines/Protocols for Collection & Preservation of Fetal Material/Product of Conception .................................................... 36 Directions by the Supreme Court on DNA Evidence ....................... 37 To Sum Up .................................................................................. 40 DR. SWARANA KANTA SHARMA, J

1. The appellant has approached this Court by way of the present appeal to assail the impugned judgment dated 12.12.2024 and order on sentence dated 15.01.2025, passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge (POCSO), North West District, Rohini Courts, Delhi [hereafter „Trial Court‟] in case arising out of FIR No. 362/2020, registered at Police Station Bharat Nagar, Delhi, for the offence punishable under Sections 376/506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 [hereafter „IPC‟] and Section 6 of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 [hereafter „POCSO Act‟].

2. By the impugned judgment dated 12.12.2024, the learned Trial Court has convicted the appellant for commission of offences under Sections 376(2)(f) and 506 of IPC, and Sections 5(n)/6 of the POCSO Act. By the impugned order on sentence dated 15.01.2025, the appellant has been sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 20 years for the offence punishable under Section 6 of the POCSO Act, and rigorous imprisonment for one year for the offence under Section 506 of IPC.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

3. Briefly stated, the facts of the case are that on 04.05.2020, on receipt of DD No. 14A at P.S. Bharat Nagar, SI Vaishali along with Ct. Suman had reached Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital, where they were informed by the doctor that the victim „V‟ had been sent outside for an ultrasound examination. At about 3:30 p.m., the victim, aged about 17 years, returned to the hospital along with her aunt („B‟), carrying the ultrasoun