Television Actor Pearl V Puri Granted Bail By Vasai Court In POCSO Case

A Sessions Court in Vasai has granted bail to television actor Pearl V Puri, booked under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and IPC for the alleged rape of a co-star's five-year-old daughter.

Puri was arrested by the Waliv police only on June 4, 2021, and remanded in judicial custody the following day. The minor's father is the complainant in the case. It is alleged that the minor was raped in September 2019 during the shoot of the serial Bepanha Pyaar.

Puri is booked under Sections 376 AB (punishment for rape of woman under 12 years of age) of the Indian Penal Code, and Sections 4 (punishment for penetrative sexual assault), 8 (punishment for sexual assault), 12 (punishment for sexual harassment), 19 (reporting of offences) and 21 (punishment for failure to report or record a case) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

Earlier, the co-star's mother's extended family stated that the case against Pearl was false, and her estranged husband intends to use this case to get the minor's custody.

"His Bail application was filed and heard on Monday 07.06.2021. The prosecution sought time to counter the points raised by us. After that, the court reserved the plea for orders, and Sessions judge Aditi Kadam granted him bail today," his advocate Rajeev Sawant said while speaking to Live Law.

Sawant said that initially, the case was filed against unknown people, but eight days later, the father claimed that the child had taken Raghubir's name, Pearl's character, in the serial. "It was their case that the girl said Raghubir bhaiyya touched her inappropriately."

However, he said that the defence, leg by Senior Advocate Aabad Ponda cited the ongoing dispute between the parents with proceedings pending in various courts.

"The prosecution produced some medical report, but the mother had gotten the child tested just a few days earlier where the minor complained of abdominal pain," Sawant added.

In his bail application Puri said that the child was taken for a medical examination belatedly and he was arrested only to tarnish his reputation.

However, the prosecution opposed the plea stating that the medical report from Nair Hospital showed a hymen tear and old healed wounds. They further argued that Puri is an influencial person.

The bail order copy is awaited.

Pearl has acted in several shows, including Badatameez Dil, Nagarjuna, Bepanah Pyaarr, Naagin 3 and Meri Sasu Maa.