Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has granted bail to a POCSO rape accused, Lokesh Kumar, under the condition that he will marry the minor victim upon her reaching the age of majority. This decision came after both the accused and the guardian of the minor victim filed affidavits in court agreeing to the marriage arrangement.

Lokesh Kumar faced charges under Section 376(2)(n) of the IPC and various sections of the POCSO Act, 2012. The allegations against him revolved around the accusation of committing penetrative sexual assault on the victim, who later became pregnant and underwent an abortion at a hospital in Chikkaballapur District.

During the court proceedings, the petitioner/accused pledged in an affidavit to marry the victim once she reaches adulthood. Similarly, the minor guardian of the victim also submitted an affidavit expressing readiness to solemnize the marriage with the accused upon the victim's attainment of majority.

Considering these undertakings, the court concluded that the petitioner's presence was no longer required for the ongoing investigation, and thus, there was no purpose served by keeping him in custody. Consequently, the court granted bail to the accused upon the execution of a personal bond amounting to Rs. 1,00,000 with one surety, subject to specified conditions.

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BENGALURU: Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara on Monday alleged Electronic Voting Machine manipulations led to the defeat of Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in just concluded assembly polls in Maharashtra.

While speaking to reporters here on Monday, he said the BJP does selective manipulations to convince people that there were no wrongdoings. He also wanted to go back to the paper ballots system.

The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra won a landslide victory in the assembly elections, shattering the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi's dream to wrest power. The BJP won the highest ever 132 seats for the party, while the Shiv Sena led by Shinde bagged 57 seats and NCP won 41 seats to take the Mahayuti total to 230 seats. Congress as part of MVA won just 16 seats.

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"We analysed the Maharashtra poll outcome deeply. We felt that in many places EVMs were manipulated," Parameshwara said. He also said an obvious question would be why not it happened in Jharkhand and elsewhere. The manipulations are done selectively so that no one can question it, he blamed.

According to him, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is a leading partner. Had the Congress been the leading partner, things would have changed. He backed the ballot papers saying that the same was discussed in Maharashtra Congress as well.

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