RASUL AZAM vs THE STATE GNCT OF DELHI & ANR.

* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Reserved on: 04.08.2025 % Pronounced on: 03.11.2025 + CRL.A.537/2023 RASUL AZAM .....Appellant Through: Ms. Sunita Arora, Advocate (DHCLSC) versus THE STATE (GOVT OF NCT), DELHI & ANR. .....Respondents Through: Ms. Shubhi Gupta, APP for State with SI Paramjit PS Ranhola, Delhi. Ms. Ishita Misra, Advocate for prosecutrix. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MANOJ KUMAR OHRI JUDGMENT 1. By way of the present appeal, the appellant seeks to assail the judgment of conviction dated 20.03.2023 and order on sentence dated 15.04.2023 passed SC No.: 49/2019 arising out of FIR No.708/2017, registered at P.S. Ranhola under Section 363/376 Indian Penal Code, 1860 [in short, ‘IPC’] and Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 [in short, ‘POCSO Act]. 2. The facts in nutshell as noted by the learned trial court are as follows: “2. As per the version of the prosecution, on 17.10.2017, the complainant, the father of the victim had stated that her daughter 'S' (name withheld to protect the identity of the victim) who was studying in class 9th had not gone to the school on 16.10.2017 due to ill health. He also stated that his daughter who was