LALIT PASWAN @ PANJI vs THE STATE OF NCT OF DELHI

Judgment text excerpt

$~55 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Date of Decision: 23.07.2025 + BAIL APPLN. 2648/2025 & CRL.M.A. 20652/2025 LALIT PASWAN @ PANJI .....Petitioner Through: Ms. Dolly Sharma, Advocate. versus THE STATE OF NCT OF DELHI .....Respondent Through: Mr. Nawal Kishore Jha, APP for State with IO/SI Pinki Jakhar CORAM: JUSTICE GIRISH KATHPALIA J U D G M E N T (ORAL) 1. The accused/applicant seeks regular bail in case FIR No.720/2023 of PS Shahbad Dairy for offences under Section 376/323/328/506 IPC and Section 6 of POCSO Act. 2. On last date, after addressing partly learned counsel for accused/applicant sought adjournment to obtain instructions as to whether this bail application should be pressed or withdrawn. Today, it is submitted by learned counsel for accused/applicant that her instructions are to press this application. As such, I have heard further submissions of learned counsel for accused/applicant. 3. Broadly speaking, according to the prosecution case, the prosecutrix was minor in age when raped and became pregnant. The DNA profiling established the paternity of the child in the womb of prosecutrix as that of Bail Application 2648/2025 Page 1 of 4 pages Digitally signed by GIRISH GIRISH KATHPALIA KATHPALIA Signature Not Verified Date: 2025.07.23 16:47:00 +05'30' Digitally Signed By:NEETU N NAIR Signing Date:23.07.2025 17:42:23 the accused/applicant. The prosecutrix supported prosecution case during her testimony in the trial. The trial is at fag end and now only the IO remains to be examined. 4. Against the above backdrop, learned counsel for accused/applicant insists that the court must hear the prosecutrix present today in court. It is contended by learned counsel that sexual relations between the accused/applicant and the prosecutrix were consensual rel