Delhi court grants bail to man accused in POCSO case
New Delhi (PTI): A Delhi court has granted bail to a man accused of raping a minor girl, saying the victim did not allege forcible penetrative sexual assault, nor did her family members oppose the bail plea.
Additional Sessions Judge Mona Tardi Kerketta was hearing the bail plea of the man, who was 23 at the time of the alleged rape of the 17-year-old girl.
The accused had been in jail since last November after a case was registered against him under the penal provision for rape and under Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
In the order dated January 6, the court noted that a complaint had been registered by the victim's sister, which said the minor girl was missing.
After investigation, it was found that she had eloped with the accused to Agra and married him, and that the couple had an eight-month-old girl.
It said the "aggravating circumstances" for the grant of bail in a POCSO case, as laid down by the Supreme Court, did not exist in the present matter.
“The age difference between them is not vast, as the accused was about 23 and the victim about 17 at the time of the alleged incident. There is no allegation of forcible sexual assault, nor is there an allegation of any kind of physical violence or abuse by the accused,” the court said.
The victim and her family members did not oppose the bail plea and, in fact, requested that the accused be granted the relief so that he could support the victim and her minor child, it said.
“The victim, though not major, was not of such a tender age that she could not understand the implication of her sexual relationship with the accused,” the court observed.
It said that in the name of investigation, police merely produced the victim before the child welfare committee, recorded her statement before a magistrate, obtained a blood sample of the accused and issued notice to the first attended school of the victim for providing her age-related documents.
“The accused has been in judicial custody since November 24, 2025, and admittedly, custodial interrogation is not required for further investigation. The victim has also not made any allegations of forceful penetrative sexual assault against the accused in any of her statements,” the court noted, and granted the accused bail on furnishing personal and surety bonds of Rs 25,000 each.
Other conditions of bail included the accused joining the investigation when required, not influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence, and appearing regularly to face trial.
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Devine’s all-round brilliance trumps Nandini’s hat-trick as GG edge DC by 4 runs
Navi Mumbai (PTI): Nandini Sharma’s maiden hat-trick went in vain as Sophie Devine starred with a breathtaking 95 and a superb final over under pressure to steer Gujarat Giants to a thrilling four-run win off the last ball over Delhi Capitals in a Women’s Premier League match here on Sunday.
This was Gujarat Giants' second win on the trot, while DC slipped to their second loss.
Sent in to bat, Giants opener Devine smashed seven fours and eight sixes in her 42-ball knock, adding 94 runs for the opening wicket with Beth Mooney (19) to set the platform.
Skipper Ashleigh Gardner kept the momentum going with a brisk 49 off 26 balls, but Nandini turned the tide with remarkable figures of 5 for 33, including a hat-trick, as Gujarat were bowled out for 209.
Chasing a stiff target, opener Lizelle Lee struck a scintillating 86 off 54 balls, studded with 12 fours and three sixes. She put on 41 runs with Shafali Verma (14) before adding 90 off 55 balls with Laura Wolvaardt (77 off 38) to keep Delhi firmly in the hunt.
Once Lee was dismissed by Kashvee Gautam (1/48) in the 15th over, Rajeshwari Gayakwad removed Chinelle Henry (7) to leave Delhi at 146 for three.
Needing 64 off the last 25 balls, skipper Jemimah Rodrigues (15) joined Wolvaardt as the pair plundered 58 runs in 23 balls to bring the equation down to seven off the final five deliveries.
Devine then returned to the spotlight, dismissing both batters and conceding just two runs in the final over to seal a dramatic win.
Earlier, Devine set the tone early, striking three fours off Chinelle Henry before taking Nandini apart with two fours and a six in the fourth over. She was particularly severe on Sneh Rana, hammering two fours and four successive sixes in an over that yielded 32 runs and powered Gujarat Giants to 80 without loss in the powerplay.
The New Zealander brought up her half-century in just 25 balls before Shree Charani broke the opening stand with a sharp caught-and-bowled effort in the ninth over to remove Mooney. Devine briefly regained control, hitting Charani for three sixes, but fell in the 11th over bowled by Nandini Sharma.
Skipper Ashleigh Gardner kept Gujarat Giants on course with a brisk 49 off 26 balls, smashing four boundaries and three sixes to take the side past the 200-mark.
Jemimah Rodrigues pulled off a fine catch to dismiss Georgia Wareham (3), while Henry removed Gardner and Bharti Fulmali (3).
Nandini then capped a memorable outing by picking up four wickets in the final over, including three off the last three balls, to complete her maiden hat-trick.
