ANIL YADAV vs STATE OF NCT OF DELHI

Judgment text excerpt

$~1 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Date of Decision: 24.03.2026 + BAIL APPLN. 967/2024 ANIL YADAV .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Bibek Tripathi and Mr. Ajay Kr. Srivastava, Advocates. versus STATE OF NCT OF DELHI .....Respondent Through: Mr. Sanjeev Sabharwal, APP with Inspector Bhoopender Kumar and SI Sweety Malik, PS Paharganj. Ms. Astha, DHCLSC (through videoconferencing) and Ms. Megha Singh, Advocate for prosecutrix. CORAM: JUSTICE GIRISH KATHPALIA J U D G M E N T (ORAL) 1. The accused/applicant seeks regular bail in case FIR No. 394/2021 of PS Paharganj for offence under Section 366/323/342/376(3) IPC and Section 6 POCSO Act. 1.1 This bail application came up for the first hearing on 18.03.2024 before the predecessor bench and thereafter continued getting adjourned before different benches. Along with 179 such old pending bail applications, this application also was transferred to this bench. BAIL APPLN. 967/2024 Page 1 of 3 pages Digitally signed by GIRISH KATHPALIA GIRISH DN: c=IN, o=HIGH COURT OF DELHI, 2.5.4.20=8401dd889b27a77b2f65ffffe4afec455 Signature Not Verified 69af3962c6fb4835d435f97626cacca, ou=HIGH COURT OF DELHI,CID - 7047638, KATHPALIA postalCode=110003, st=Delhi, serialNumber=d3e86796451ec45c07b5d15570 996b40f80cbd2eee60402c487965ff801e26fa, cn=GIRISH KATHPALIA Digitally Signed Date: 2026.03.24 16:45:39 -07'00' By:RAHUL YADAV Signing Date:24.03.2026 17:14:42 1.2 Today is the first effective hearing before me. 2. I have heard learned counsel for accused/applicant and learned APP for State assisted by IO/SI Sweety Malik. I have also heard learned counsel for prosecutrix. 3. Broadly speaking, the prosecution case is that the accused/applicant, who was treated as brother by the 13 year old prosecutrix (the prosecutrix also tied rakhi on the a