IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of Decision: 04.02.2026 RAJ KUMAR CHUGH ......Petitioner Versus STATE OF PUNJAB .....Respondent CORAM: HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE KIRTI SINGH Present: Mr. Salil Bali, Senior Advocate with Mr. Jaiveer Bali, Advocate and Ms. Archana Chauhan, Advocate for the petitioner.

Ms. Aakanksha Gupta, AAG, Punjab.

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KIRTI SINGH , J. (ORAL)

CRM-3599-2026 Allowed as prayed for subject to all just exceptions. Annexures A-1 to A-3 are taken on record.

CRM-M-53360-2025

1. The jurisdiction of this Court under Section 483 BNSS has been invoked for grant of regular bail to the petitioner in case FIR No.205 dated 10.07.2025 under Sections 74, 75 and 79 of BNS and Section 8 of POCSO Act, registered at Police Station Guruharsahai, District Ferozepur.

2. The translated version of the FIR is reproduced below:-

“Statement of Sonu son of Satpal son of Om Prakash resident of near R U Kuti Road Guruharsahai, age about 44 years, mobile number 98557-xxxx stated that I am a resident of the above address and work as a cloth dealer in villages. I am married to xxxxx, daughter of Shingara Ram, resident of Guruharsahai and I have three children, two girls and one boy. My daughter is studying in class 10 at Government Senior Secondary School for Girls, Guruharsahai, and her age is about 14 years. My daughter went to school on 04-07- 2025 and when my daughter returned home after school, there was tension in her mind and she was completely nervous. When my wife xxxx and I asked the girl why she was nervous, at first she kept quiet as if she was afraid, and later she told me in tears that 12 girls in her school appeared in the principal's office today and all the girls complained to the principal that their school's teacher Raj Kumar Chugh, who teaches SST in many classes, has been constantly touching the girls' back and bodies intentionally. My daughter also told me that she had fainted in school while complaining. On 05-07- 2025, I and the father of other school girls studying in the school, Sunil Kumar son of Om Prakash resident of Adarsh Nagar Guruharsahai, whose daughter is studying in class 8, Kuldeep Singh son of Pala Singh resident of Saroop Singh Wala, whose daughter is a student of class 10, Vijay Kumar son of Jagan Nath resident of Muktsar Road Guruharsahai, whose daughter is studying in class 10. Baljinder Singh son of Sher Singh resident of Shrihwala Road Guruharsahai, whose daughter is also studying in class 10 and parents of nearby villages went together to the Principal of Government Senior Secondary School for Girls, Guruharsahai and all our daughters were also present with us. Our girls told the whole story to the Principal who was present at the school that day in our presence. He brought this whole matter to the notice of the District Education Officer, Ferozepur, and his team also came and recorded the statements of the girls. The above Raj Kumar Chugh SST Teacher Government Senior Secondary School for Girls Guruharsahai has mishandled our minor girls with bad intentions and deliberately touched their bodies and our girls are suffering from mental stress due to his actions. Today, I along with my above mentioned associates Sunil Kumar son of Om Prakash resident of Adarsh Nagar Guruharsahai, Kuldeep Singh son of Pala Singh resident of Saroop Singh Wala, Vijay Kumar son of Jagan Nath resident of Muktsar Road Guruharsahai, Baljinder Singh son of Sher Singh resident of Bariwala Road Guruharsahai came and given our statement which is found to be correct. Legal action be taken. SD/- Sonu son of Satpal True/- Sunil Kumar son of Um Prakash SD/- Kuldeep Singh son of Pala Singh SD/-Vijay Kumar son of Jagan Nath SD/-Baljinder Singh son of Sher Singh Attested SD/- Jaswinder Singh Ins: Investigating Officer, P.S. Guruharsahai Date 10-7-2025.”

3. Learned Senior counsel for the petitioner inter alia submits that the petitioner has been falsely implicated in the instant case on the application moved by five persons, w