Recently, the Kerala High Court refused bail to a 63-year-old mosque priest accused of sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl studying at a madrasa, finding that the allegations disclosed a prima facie “premeditated criminal act.” The Court observed that, given the gravity of the allegations and the material reflected in the case diary, the accused could not be released on bail at this stage.
According to the prosecution, the alleged incident occurred while the child was attending classes at the madrasa, where the accused was stated to have touched her private parts. He was arrested and has remained in judicial custody since February 8. The case was registered for offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. Seeking bail, the accused claimed that he had been falsely implicated and that the prosecution had no material connecting him to the alleged offence.
Justice Kauser Edappagath rejected the plea after examining the case diary and the nature of the accusation. The Court observed, “A perusal of the case diary would reveal that the accusation against the applicant is very serious, and it prima facie shows a premeditated criminal act on his part.” The Court held that the seriousness of the accusation, the applicant’s alleged role, and the overall circumstances of the case did not warrant his release on bail at this stage.
Consequently, the bail application was dismissed.
Source PTI
Picture Source : https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kerala_New_High_Court.jpg
