K'taka HC denies plea to quash case against man accused of assaulting mentally challenged minor
Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka has refused to quash criminal proceedings against a man from Tumakuru accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old mentally challenged girl. Justice M Nagaprasanna observed that dismissing the proceedings would amount to a "travesty of law," given the nature of the allegations.
The incident occurred on December 10, 2023, when the petitioner allegedly lured the victim to his house under the pretext of giving her sugarcane. Although her mother became aware of the incident on the same day, she delayed filing a complaint by 11 days due to social pressures and her daughter's disability. The child later complained of persistent pain, prompting the complaint.
The Tumakuru police charged the petitioner under s. 376(l) of the IPC and s. 4 of the POCSO Act.
The petitioner argued that the delay in registering the complaint and the victim's mental condition warranted quashing the case. He also claimed that the victim's statement under s. 164 of the CrPC lacked credibility. However, Justice Nagaprasanna noted that the victim had identified the petitioner and provided sufficient details about the incident in her statement.
The court held that the allegations were "heinous and horrendous," describing the petitioner's behaviour as prima facie paraphilic. It emphasised that reliance on isolated statements from a mentally challenged child during cross-examination cannot justify quashing the proceedings.
The trial court has been instructed to conclude the case within three months.
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Experience comes when you play bigger teams in bilateral series: Rashid Khan
Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.
Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.
However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.
"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.
The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.
"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.
With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.
"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."
Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.
"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.
"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."
