O R D E R

This application is filed under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short, BNSS ), seeking pre-arrest bail.

2. The applicant is the sole accused in Crime No.913/2025 of Vattiyoorkavu Police Station, Thiruvananthapuram District. The offences alleged are punishable under Sections 8 r/w 7 and 10 r/w 9(1)(m) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 .

3. The prosecution case, in short, is as follows:- The victim is a minor boy aged 5 years and he is studying in UKG. The applicant is the friend of the victim's father. The allegation against the applicant is that while the victim was at his father's residence at Manikandeshwaram, the applicant, with sexual intent, repeatedly held the victim's penis and inappropriately touched his private parts, on various occasions and thereby committed the offences.

4. I have heard Sri.Mahesh V. Menon, the learned counsel for the applicant and Smt.V.Sreeja, the learned Senior Public Prosecutor. Perused the case diary.

5. The learned counsel for the applicant submitted that the applicant is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the present case. The counsel further submitted that no material