PATNA, India, May 21 -- Patna High Court issued the following order on April 20:

1. Heard learned counsel for the appellant and learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the State.

2. Despite valid service of notice on respondent no.2, she has chosen not to enter appearance in this case.

3. Records have been placed before this Court to consider the prayer of the appellant for suspension of his sentence and release on bail during the pendency of the appeal.

4. The sole appellant has been convicted vide judgment dated 11.08.2025 and sentenced vide order dated 13.08.2025 by the learned Exclusive Special Court of POCSO Act-cum-District and Additional Sessions Judge-VI, Bhojpur at Ara, in connection with POCSO Case No.51 of 2024, arising out of Shahpur P.S. Case No.166 of 2024 for the offence under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (in short the 'IPC') and Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (hereinafter referred to as 'POCSO Act'). He has been ordered to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 20 years with a fine of Rs. 25,000/- and in default of payment of fine, he has further been ordered to undergo rigorous imprisonment for further six months for offences under Section 6 of the POCSO Act 5. The prosecution case is based on the written information furnished by the mother of the victim, who has been examined as PW-1 in the trial. As per the written information, when the informant was sleeping on the roof of her house on 29.04.2024 and her six year old daughter (X) was sleeping alone on the ground floor in a room, all of a sudden the informant heard sound/cry of the victim whereafter she went downstairs and found that her daughter was weeping. The daughter of the informant disclosed the name of this appellant. She alleged that the appellant had come inside the room and done dirty act with her. The informant claimed that when she went in search of the appellant then she found that he was fleeing away.

*Rest of the document can be viewed at: (https://patnahighcourt.gov.in/vieworder/NSMxMjg5IzIwMjUjMTAjTg==-E0qx0kQPw8Q=)

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.