PRADEEP @ PIDDI vs STATE OF (GNCT) NEW DELHI

Judgment text excerpt

$~43 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Date of Decision: 01.08.2025 + BAIL APPLN. 623/2024 PRADEEP @ PIDDI .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Hemant Kumar, Advocate versus STATE OF (GNCT) NEW DELHI .....Respondent Through: Mr. Amit Ahlawat, APP for State with ACP K.P. Malik and SI Bharat Singh, PS Uttam Nagar Mr. Vishesh Wadhwa and Ms. Swadha Gupta, Advocates for complainant de facto CORAM: JUSTICE GIRISH KATHPALIA JUDGMENT (ORAL) 1. Petitioner seeks regular bail in case FIR No. 363/2016 of PS Uttam Nagar for offence under Section 302/363/201 IPC & Section 6 POCSO Act. Today is the first hearing before this Bench. I have heard learned counsel for accused/applicant and learned Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) as well as learned counsel for complainant de facto. 2. Broadly speaking, the prosecution case is as follows. On 06.04.2016, FIR No. 363/2016 was registered at PS Uttam Nagar on the statement of Shri Dharshan Singh, a labourer, reporting that his eight year old daughter, BAIL APPLN. 623/2024 Page 1 of 5 pages Digitally signed by GIRISH Signature Not Verified GIRISH KATHPALIA KATHPALIA Date: 2025.08.01 18:31:07 +05'30' Digitally Signed By:NEETU N NAIR Signing Date:01.08.2025 18:41:01 namely R, who was playing outside the house around 05:30pm, did not return home and despite efforts they could not search her out, and it appears that she has been kidnapped by someone. In the said FIR, the complainant de facto also mentioned the physical description and clothes worn by the girl child. In the course of investigation, one Sunil informed the police having seen R with her cousin, the accused/applicant, near the gate of stadium at about 07:00pm on the same day. The Investigating Officer interrogated the accused/applicant, but he denied his involvement. On 07.04.2016, D