Allahabad High Court Denies Bail To Govt School Principal Accused Of Sexually Abusing Girl Students
The Allahabad High Court recently denied bail to the principal of a government primary school in Bulandshahr district of the state who was arrested in March this year on the allegations of sexually abusing female students and showing them 'indecent' on his mobile phone.
Considering the victims' tender age, which ranged from 9 to 13 years, a bench of Justice Krishan Pahal did not find it a fit case for granting bail to the applicant (Pratap Singh).
UP Police booked the accused under Sections 354, 354-Ka, 376AB I.P.C., Section 9M/10 and 5MF/6 POCSO Act and Section 3(2)5 SC/ST Act after it was alleged that he used to 'fondle' female students, touched their private parts inappropriately and used to show them specific sexually explicit material on his mobile.
It was also alleged that six children from the O.B.C. and S.C. categories discontinued going to school due to the alleged acts committed by the accused.
Seeking bail in the case, his counsel argued before the HC that the informant and the other family members of the other victims did not get any scholarship from the State, as such, the applicant had been falsely implicated in the present case.
The accused also sought to plead alibi, as his counsel contended that since the accused was suffering from cough and breathlessness, he was advised to rest between March 10 and 25, 2024 (the period during which the alleged crime is said to have been committed).
It was also submitted that the accused was a previous cancer patient, and there is every possibility of him again being affected by the said ailment as he has been languishing in jail since March 25, 2024.
On the other hand, the counsel for the state government opposed his bail plea on the ground that the said victims were of tender age between 9 and 13; as such, it was argued that the offence committed by the applicant was of grievous dignity.
It was also submitted that the medical certificate submitted by the accused is fake and had been subsequently fetched by him.
In view of these submissions, the single judge rejected the bail application, finding it to be devoid of merits.
Case title - Pratap Singh vs. State Of U.P. And 3 Others
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