IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH AT JABALPUR BEFORE HON'BLE SHRI JUSTICE RAJENDRA KUMAR VANI

th

ON THE 29 OF JANUARY, 2026 CRIMINAL APPEAL No. 5690 of 2017 KULDEEP Versus THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH Appearance:

Shri Rajnish Kumar Pandey - Advocate for appellant.

Shri Aditya Choubey - Public Prosecutor for State.

JUDGMENT This appeal has been filed by the present appellant under Section 374(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 being aggrieved by the judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 08.11.2017 passed by the learned Special Judge SC/ST Act), Betul (M.P.) in SC ATR No.200093 of 2013 whereby the present appellant/accused has been convicted under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to undergo two years RI and fine of Rs.25,000/- with default stipulation.

2. The case of the prosecution, in brief is that on 16.10.2013, the victim, aged about 16 years, submitted a written complaint (Ex. P-1) at Police Station Chicholi stating that she is a resident of village Godhna and a student of Class XII, attending school at Ratanpur. It was alleged that on 15.10.2013, while she was proceeding from her house to Ratanpur in her school uniform, the appellant/accused, a