ANKIT LAKRA vs THE STATE NCT OF DELHI THROUGH SHO

Judgment text excerpt

$~121 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Date of Decision: 07.05.2026 + BAIL APPLN. 615/2026 ANKIT LAKRA .....Petitioner Through: Ms. Pooja Kumari, Mr. Tej Singh Varun, Mr. Deven Varun, Mr. Sudhir Kumar, Mr. Manish Kumar, Ms. Seema Rehani, Advocates versus THE STATE NCT OF DELHI THROUGH SHO ..Respondent Through: Mr. Naresh Kumar Chahar, APP for the State. Mr. Manan Khanna, Amicus Curiae for R-2. CORAM: HON’BLE DR. JUSTICE SWARANA KANTA SHARMA JUDGMENT DR. SWARANA KANTA SHARMA, J. (Oral) 1. By way of the present application, the applicant is seeking grant of regular bail in case arising out of FIR bearing no. 02/2026, registered at Police Station Chankyapuri, Delhi, for the commission of offences punishable under Sections 137(2)/64(2)/65/115(2)/351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (hereafter ‘BNS’), Sections 363/376 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (hereafter ‘IPC’) and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (hereafter ‘POCSO Act’). Signature Not Verified BAIL APPLN. 615/2026 Page 1 of 8 Digitally Signed By:ZEENAT PRAVEEN Signing Date:08.05.2026 19:10:40 2. The brief facts of the case, as borne out from the status report filed by the State, are that the victim/prosecutrix, along with her parents, had submitted a written complaint against the accused/applicant, Ankit Lakra. In her complaint, the prosecutrix stated that she was acquainted with the applicant and had been in a relationship with him after they had exchanged their Instagram IDs. She alleged that, in the year 2022, the applicant had first established physical relations with her and thereafter used to take her to different hotels on various occasions. As per the allegations, the last such incident had taken place in July, 2025. It was further alleged that the applicant had