JUDGMENT

(PER: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE H.P.SANDESH)

These two appeals are filed by the State and P.W.2, mother of the victim girl, respectively, challenging the judgment of acquittal dated 31.08.2024 passed in Spl.C.C.No.2945/2023, on the file of the Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge, FTSC-II, Bengaluru and praying this Court to set aside the acquittal order passed for the offences punishable under Sections 363 , 366 and 376 of IPC and Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (‘POCSO Act’ for short) and to convict the accused for the above offences.

2. The factual matrix of the case of the prosecution is that the victim girl is the daughter of P.W.2 and the victim girl was a resident of Ralahalli Village, Madakasira Taluk, Ananthapur, Andhra Pradesh. The accused is also a native of the same place, where the victim girl is residing. During the month of April 2023, the accused came in contact with the victim girl and forced her to love him, but the victim girl refused his proposal by saying that she is still minor. But the accused told that he will marry her and made her to love him and thereafter, they both started roaming. It is the further case of the pro