HC cancels bail of 57-year-old caretaker in Janakpuri POCSO case

The Delhi High Court on Monday cancelled the bail granted to a 57-year-old private school caretaker accused of raping a three-year-old girl inside a school in West Delhi’s Janakpuri, holding that the trial court had erred in granting him relief in a case involving serious charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
A vacation bench of Justice Vinod Kumar allowed petitions filed by the Delhi Police and the complainant, challenging the May 7 order of a Dwarka court granting bail to the accused, Lalit Kumar. The High Court directed the accused to surrender before the jurisdictional POCSO court on July 1 at 2 pm.

“I have agreed with the State and the petitioner. Both petitions are allowed. Accused Lalit Kumar is directed to surrender before the jurisdictional POCSO court on July 1 at 2 pm,” the court said.
Appearing for the Delhi Police, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju argued that the trial court wrongly granted bail despite the gravity of the allegations. He said the case involved serious charges under the POCSO Act and pointed out that the child had identified the accused and made specific allegations. The defence denied the allegations, saying the prosecution’s case lacked foundation.
The alleged incident took place on April 30, the toddler’s second day at the private school in Janakpuri. According to the complaint lodged by the child’s mother on May 1, the girl returned home complaining of pain. 

She later told her mother that a staff member had taken her to an isolated area within the school and sexually assaulted her.
Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR and arrested the caretaker on May 1 after the child identified him. He was then remanded to judicial custody.