PRAVEEN vs THE STATE OF NCT OF DELHI

Judgment text excerpt

IN THE HIGH COURTOF DELHIAT NEW DELHI % Judgment reserved on: 06.12.2025 Judgment delivered on:16.03.2026 + CRL.A. 641/2025 & CRL.M.(BAIL) 1036/2025 PRAVEEN .....Appellant versus THE STATE OF NCT OF DELHI .....Respondent Advocates who appeared in this case: For the Appellant : Mr. Sudarshan Rajan, Mr. Hitain Bajaj, Mr. Sambhav Sharma & Ms. Kashish, Advs. For the Respondent : Mr. Ritesh Kumar Bahri, APP for the State along with Mr. Lalit Luthra & Mr. Vinesh Kumar, Advs. WSI Fukeria, PS DCRS, WSI Birvati Yadav, PS DCRS. Ms. Surbhi Arora, Mr. Subham Jain, Mr. Shravan Pandey & Mr. Siddharth Arora, Advs. for prosecutrix. CORAM HON’BLE MR JUSTICE AMIT MAHAJAN JUDGMENT 1. The present appeal is filed against the judgment dated 30.01.2025 (hereafter ‘impugned judgment’) and the order on sentence dated 07.02.2025 (hereafter ‘impugned order on sentence’) Signature Not Verified Signed By:HARMINDER KAUR CRL.A. 641/2025 Page 1 of 18 Signing Date:17.03.2026 16:31:00 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Central, Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi in SC No. 500/2023 arising out of FIR No. 21/2023 registered at Police Station Delhi Cantt Railway Station. 2. By the impugned judgment, the learned ASJ found the appellant guilty of the offences under Sections 376(3) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (‘IPC’) and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (‘POCSO Act’). By the impugned order on sentence, the learned ASJ sentenced the appellant to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of 20 years and to pay a fine of ₹5,000/- and in default of payment of fine to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of 02 months. 3. Succinctly stated, on 17.07.2023, on the basis of the complaint of the victim, a Zero FIR being FIR No. 174/2023 was registered on 17.07.2023 unde