$~1 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Date of Decision: 06.02.2026 + BAIL APPLN. 4565/2025 ANKIT LAKRA .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Sachin Pahwa and Mrs. Param Kaur Pahwa, Advocates.

versus STATE NCT OF DELHI .....Respondent Through: Mr. Sanjeev Sabharwal, APP for State with SI Ankita and SI Chanchal. Mr. Archit Upadhayay, Advocate for victim with victim and mother of victim in person.

CORAM: JUSTICE GIRISH KATHPALIA J U D G M E N T (ORAL)

1. The accused/applicant seeks regular bail in case FIR No. 370/2023 of Police Station Pul Prahlad Pur for offence under Section 376 IPC and Section 6 of POCSO Act.

2. In furtherance of last order, DHCLSC appointed a legal aid counsel to represent the prosecutrix. I have heard learned counsel for accused/applicant and learned APP for State as well as learned DHCLSC counsel for the prosecutrix.

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By:NEETU N NAIR Date: 2026.02.06 17:46:53 -08'00'

3. Broadly speaking, FIR against the accused/applicant was registered on the statement of the prosecutrix in which, she disclosed her age as 17 years and stated that she knew her neighbour Ankit (the accused/applicant), with whom she developed friendship, and they established physical relations at their homes repeatedly, but she did not disclose about the same to anyone; that later in the month of April 2023, she went to the home of the accused/applicant and there also, she voluntarily had sexual relations with the accused/applicant and she got pregnant. It is only in November 2023, when she developed stomach ache, that her mother took her to the hospital where she gave birth to a child. After stating those facts in the FIR, the prosecutrix also stated in the FIR that the accused/applicant had falsely promised to get married with her to make physical relations.

4. Learned counsel for accused/applicant submits that the prosecutrix was aged above 17 years and was fully aware of the consensual relations in which she was engaged with the accused/applicant. The accused/applicant is stated to be in custody since 07.11.2023 and all public witnesses already stand examined during trial. Further, it is contended by learned counsel that accused/applicant still wants to get married with prosecutrix.

5. Learned APP for State opposes the bail application on the ground that ultimately the fact remains that the prosecutrix was aged below 18 years at the time of the alleged sexual encounters.

6. Learned DHCLSC counsel for prosecutrix also contends that this is BAIL APPLN. 4565/2025 Page 2 of 5 pages D Si i g gi n ta a l t l u y r S e i g N n o ed t Verified G KA IR T I H SH P ALIA DD25ops7fDa e .5 0 uo iN a 5 , r g 6 9 =s tc i .:4 a i e t 9 9n t H c al . : a a 6 2 N = = lI 2 l f C b G 0I G 3 u 0 yN 4 o = H9 m 2I 0 s R , d 86 6 i C o fI be g 42 . 8S = 0 O=e 0 n c H0 2 H r 16 1U e c = .K df 1 0 Id b Rb G d A 0 d 6 d T b 4 3 H 0 8 T 2 1 8 y O e0 H 8 e 7 C 3 83 G F 9 eP: O 5 6 4 , b e I A Dd 7 R s 6 U2 6 t L E4 9 I : R = 7 0 4 S I L3 6 A H a 4 T 3 DH5 4 7 0 O - e f 5 I K 7 2 0 9,lC 1 AF h b c 8 7 e I 4 T i ' 26D D 0 ,c 8 H f2 4 E 0 6 - 7 6 P 5 L ' 5 7 9 c AH c f 0 6 a 0 LI 4c 5 , 7 I c A 7 f e b a6 4 85 ,3 a 0d f 8 1 e 1 , e c 52 4 56 By:NEETU N NAIR not a fit case to grant bail to the accused/applicant.

7. In view of submission advanced on behalf of accused/applicant on last date that the accused/applicant wants to get married with the prosecutrix but it is her mother who is objecting, I also spoke in Hindi