A 27-year-old man booked for rape and murder of a seven-year-old child who he allegedly lured by offering eatables and whose body was found in a decomposed state near the railway tracks, was denied bail by a special court on Wednesday.
The UP native who used to work in Dongri area was seen in CCTV footage of the vicinity during investigation after the child had gone missing on May 30, at 9.30 pm. She had gone out to play and not returned. The police had found that the man worked in the vicinity. Upon questioning, the police claim he revealed the spot in the Wadi Bunder area where the child’s body is and the body was found in a decomposed state. Post-mortem found the child had been sexually assaulted before being killed.
The man in his bail plea claimed that he had been falsely implicated and that he voluntarily surrendered on receiving a call from the police. He also said that he had no criminal antecedents and that there are no eye-witnesses to the alleged crime.
The prosecution opposed his bail plea and told the court that the child was last seen with the accused in the CCTV footage and that there was eye-witness evidence they have collected. The Dongri police also told the court that the victim’s dead body was recovered at his instance during questioning. There is a possibility of his threatening witnesses if released on bail, it told the court.
Special Judge under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act Sanjashree J. Gharat said in her order rejecting his bail plea that from the prosecution story it appears the accused had taken the child with him under the pretext of offering eatables. She noted that after the incident he had gone to his native and been silent about his stay in Mumbai. The court further said that there is prima-facie evidence that shows that the accused and deceased girl were last seen together and that her body was recovered at his instance.
Judge Gharat said that the offence is serious, that the accused is not entitled to bail just because investigation is completed and chargesheet is filed. Looking into the gravity of the offence, the judge said she is not inclined to grant bail.
