IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA Cr.M.P.(M). No.2977 of 2023.

Date of decision: 05.01.2024.

State of Himachal Pradesh …..Applicant/Appellant.

Versus Sunil Kumar Thakur …..Respondent.

Coram The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, Judge.

The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Satyen Vaidya, Judge.

Whether approved for reporting?¹ No For the Appellant : Mr. I.N. Mehta, Senior Additional Advocate General with Mr. Navlesh Verma, Ms. Sharmila Patial, Additional Advocate Generals and Mr. J.S.Guleria, Deputy Advocate General.

For the Respondent : Nemo Tarlok Singh Chauhan, Judge (Oral)

The respondent has been acquitted of the offences punishable under Sections 376, 354-D, 323, 506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, (for short ‘IPC’), Sections 3(1)(w), 3(2)(v)(va) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and Section 67(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and aggrieved thereby the State has filed the instant application for grant of leave to appeal.

2. The case of the prosecution as set out against the respondent in brief and chronologically is as under:

Whether the reporters of the local papers may be allowed to see the Judgment?Yes “(i). In the year