CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE RAJEEV RANJAN PRASAD and HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE PRAVEEN KUMAR ORAL ORDER (Per: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE RAJEEV RANJAN PRASAD)

16 29-01-2026 I.A. No.03 of 2025 Heard learned counsel for the appellant and learned Spl.

P.P. for the State.

2. On 11.07.2022, this Court had issued notice to the informant-respondent no.2 and it appears from the order dated 29.11.2022 that the service of notice upon respondent no.2 has been treated as valid. No one has, however, entered appearance on behalf of the informant-respondent no.2.

3. The sole appellant in this case is seeking suspension of his sentence and release on bail during pendency of the appeal.

4. The appellant has been convicted and sentenced vide judgment judgment and order dated 23.05.2019 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge-1st-cum-Special Judge, Children’s Court, Begusarai in connection with J.J.C.P. No.10/2018 arising out of Begusarai Mahila P.S. Case No.12 of 2018 and has been ordered to undergo a sentence of 14 years simple imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 10,000/- for the offence punishable under Section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (in short ‘POCSO Act’) and in