##PAGE1##

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 6^TH DAY OF MARCH, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.G.S. KAMAL CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 1279 OF 2023 (C)

BETWEEN:

KUMARA S/O SHESHAPPA GOWDA AGED ABOUT 31 YEARS R/AT DEVUKUDRU HOUSE ASHWATHPURA POST THENKA MIJARU VILLAGE MOODABIDRE TALUK D K DISTRICT - 574 227.

…APPELLANT (BY SRI. PRATHEEP K C.,ADVOCATE)

AND:

1. STATE OF KARNATAKA STATE BY MOODABIDRE POLICE REP BY ITS STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR D by ig S it U a M lly A s i B g n N ed H BA IG N H G A C L O O U R R E T - O 5 F 6 K 0 A 0 R 0 N 1 A . TAKA Location: HIGH COURT OF 2. SMT. MEENAKSHI KARNATAKA W/O LATE GOPALA GOWDA AGED ABOUT 43 YEARS R/AT DEVAKUDRU MANE THENKAMIJARU VILLAGE ASHWATHPURA POST MUDABIDRE TALUK D K DISTRICT -560 056.

…RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. VINAY MAHADEVAIAH., HCGP FOR R1;

SMT. G.M. SUMITHRA., ADVOCATE FOR R2)

THIS CRIMINAL APPEAL IS FILED U/S.374(2) CR.P.C PRAYING TO SET ASIDE THE JUDGMENT DATED 26.12.2022 ON THE FILE OF THE ADDL.DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE, / FTSC II (POCSO) D.K., MANGALURU IN SPL.C.NO.176/2021, CONVICTING THE APPELLANT/ACCUSED FOR THE OFFENCE P/U/S 4 OF THE POCSO ACT R/W SEC.341,506 OF THE IPC.

THIS APPEAL, COMING ON FOR FINAL HEARING, THIS DAY, JUDGMENT WAS DELIVERED THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.G.S. KAMAL

ORAL JUDGMENT

This appeal is by the accused/appellant being aggrieved by the judgment and order dated 26.12.2022 passed in Special Case No.176/2021, on the file of Additional District and Sessions Judge/ FTSC-II (POCSO), D.K., Mangaluru, by which he has been convicted and sentenced for the offences punishable under Section 341, 376, 506 of IPC read with Sections 4 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 (hereinafter referred to as 'the POCSO Act').

2. A complaint dated 09.08.2021 came to be filed at

05.15 p.m. by the victim before the Moodabidre Police Station contents of which are as under:

'' (cid:3)ಾನು ಈ (cid:8)ೕ(cid:10)ನ (cid:11)(cid:12)ಾಸದ(cid:10)(cid:15) ನನ(cid:16) (cid:17)ಾ(cid:18) (cid:19)(cid:20)ೕಮ(cid:22) (cid:23)ೕ(cid:3)ಾ(cid:24). (cid:3)ಾನು, ತಮ(cid:26) (cid:27)ಾ(cid:22)(cid:28)(cid:29)(cid:3)ೊಂ!"ೆ #ಾಸ#ಾ$ದು% (cid:17)ಾ(cid:18) ಕೂ(cid:10) (cid:27)ೆಲಸ (ಾಡು(cid:22)*ದು% (cid:3)ಾನು +ೕ(cid:27)ೆ(cid:28),ೆ ಸರ(cid:27)ಾ. /ೌ(cid:20)ಢ 2ಾ3ೆಯ(cid:10)(cid:15) 10(cid:3)ೇ ತರಗ(cid:22)ಯ(cid:10)(cid:15) ಕ(cid:10)ಯು(cid:22)*6ೆ%ೕ(cid:3)ೆ. ನನ(cid:16) ತಮ(cid:26) +ೕ(cid:27)ೆ(cid:28),ೆ 2ಾ3ೆಯ(cid:10)(cid:15) 5(cid:3)ೇ ತರಗ(cid:22)ಯ(cid:10)(cid:15) ಕ(cid:10)ಯು(cid:22)*6ಾ%(cid:3)ೆ. ನನ(cid:16) ತಂ6ೆ

ಸು(ಾರು 4 ವಷ(cid:28)ಗಳ :ಂ6ೆ ಮೃತಪ=>ರು(cid:17)ಾ*,ೆ.

(cid:3)ಾನು ಈ !ನ !(cid:3)ಾಂಕ 09.08.2021 ರಂದು ?ೆಳ"ೆ@ ನಮ(cid:26) ಆB3ೈB

2ಾ3ಾ ವ(cid:29)(cid:28) (cid:19)ೕಟನು(cid:16) +ೕಡುವ,ೇ ನನ(cid:16) "ೆಳ(cid:22) (cid:3)ೆ,ೆಮ(cid:3)ೆಯ !ೕEಾ(cid:12)ೆFಂ!"ೆ ?ೆಳ"ೆ@ 09.30 ಗಂGೆ"ೆ ನHೆದು(cid:27)ೊಂಡು 2ಾ3ೆ"ೆ Iೋ$6ೆ%ನು. ನಮ(cid:26) ವಕ(cid:28)(cid:19)ೕಟನು(cid:16) 2ಾ3ೆಯ(cid:10)(cid:15) +ೕJ ಮKಾLಹ(cid:16) 12.45 ಗಂGೆ"ೆ 2ಾ3ೆ(cid:18)ಂದ Iೊರಟು #ಾ/ಾಸುN ಮ(cid:3)ೆ ಕHೆ"ೆ ನHೆದು(cid:27)ೊಂಡು ಬರು(cid:22)*ರು#ಾಗ ಅ3ೆ(cid:15)ೕ ಇದ% ಬಸುN ತಂಗು6ಾಣದ(cid:10)(cid:15) ನನ(cid:16) SಕTಪU ಕು(ಾV ರವರು ಕುW(cid:22)ದ%ರು. (cid:3)ಾನು ನನ(cid:16) "ೆಳ(cid:22) !ೕEಾ(cid:12)ೆFಂ!"ೆ ನನ"ೆ (cid:27)ೆಲವX ಬ,ೆಯುವ ಪXಸ*ಕಗಳY ?ೇ(cid:27)ಾ$ದು%ದ.ಂದ ಅ3ೆ(cid:15)ೕ ಇದ% ಅಂಗJ"ೆ Iೋ6ೆವX. ಆಗ ನನ(cid:16) SಕTZಪ ಕು(ಾVರವರು ನಮ(cid:26)ನು(cid:16) :ಂ?ಾ(cid:10)ಸು(cid:17)ಾ* ಬಂದರು. (cid:3)ಾವX ಅಂಗJ(cid:18)ಂದ ಪXಸ*ಕಗಳನು(cid:16) ಪHೆದು(cid:27)ೊಂಡು ಮ(cid:3)ೆ ಕHೆ"ೆ Iೋಗು(cid:22)*ರು#ಾಗ ಅ(cid:10)(cid:15)ಯೂ ನನ(cid:16) SಕTಪU ನಮ(cid:26)ನು(cid:16) :ಂ?ಾ(cid:10)[(cid:27)ೊಂಡು ಬಂದು +ನ(cid:16)(cid:10)(cid:15) (cid:3)ಾನು Iೇಳ(cid:10)ಲ(cid:15)#ೇ ಅವಳ \ೊ(cid:17)ೆ Iೋಗ?ೇಡ#ೆಂದು ಎಷು> ಸಲ IೇಳYವXದು ಎಂದು IೇW ನನ(cid:16) "ೆಳ(cid:22) !ೕEಾಳ(cid:10)(cid:15) "+ನ"ೆ ಎಷು> (cid:27)ೆಲಸ ಇ6ೆ ಅಷು> (ಾಡು +ೕನು [ೕ6ಾ +ನ(cid:16) ಮ(cid:3)ೆ"ೆ Iೋಗು (cid:3)ಾನು ಅವಳ SಕTಪU" ಎಂದು \ೋರು (ಾJದನು. ಇದನು(cid:16) (cid:27)ೇWದ !ೕEಾಳY Iೆದ. #ೇಗ#ಾ$ ಅ(cid:10)(cid:15)ಂದ ಓJ IೋದಳY. ಅಷ>ರ(cid:10)(cid:15) ನನ(cid:16) SಕTಪU ಅ3ೆ(cid:15)ೕ ಇದ% ಓ_‘ಂದರ ಪಕTದ(cid:10)(cid:15) ನನ(cid:16)ನು(cid:16) ತHೆದು +(cid:10)