‘Victim was mature enough to understand consequences of act’: Court grants bail to accused in POCSO case | Thane News

THANE: The Special POCSO Court in Thane has granted bail to a man in his early twenties, who was arrested in connection with the abduction and sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl. The accused had been in custody since December 29, 2024, spending over three months in jail before being granted bail.
He faced charges under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
Special Judge D.S. Deshmukh delivered the bail order today, acknowledging that while the allegations were “serious in nature,” the court found evidence suggesting a “love affair” between the accused and the minor victim.
According to the prosecution, the case began when the father of the 15-year-old girl filed a missing persons report. During the investigation, authorities located the girl with the accused in the Wada area of Bhiwandi. The victim reportedly stated that she and the accused were in a relationship and had engaged in sexual intercourse between December 25 and December 28, 2024.
In the bail order, Judge Deshmukh noted that “their relationship appears to be consensual” and that the victim “was mature enough to understand the consequences of the act she was involved in,” despite being 15 years and 5 months old at the time of the incident.
The court also observed that the investigation had been completed, and a charge sheet had been filed, concluding that “no purpose will be served by keeping him behind bars.”
The accused has been released on bail with multiple conditions, including a bond of Rs. 15,000/-, instructions to avoid contact with the victim, and regular court attendance. The judge cited several precedents and other cases when making this controversial decision, weighing “consensual” relations against the statutory age of consent under POCSO Act provisions.