A special POCSO court in Mumbai granted four-day temporary bail to an 18-year-old jailed on rape charges, allowing him to appear for the NEET retest scheduled for June 21.
According to reports, the rape survivor had no objection to the temporary bail, subject to the assurance that he would not defame or threaten her family while released. The man was lodged in Taloja Central Prison in Navi Mumbai.
The temporary bail was granted by the court from June 18 to June 21 on a bond of Rs 50,000 with a surety of a like amount. The court directed him to surrender in front of the authorities before 2 pm on June 22, a day after the medical entrance re-examination, reported news agency PTI.
The court, while releasing the accused, directed him not to contact the victim in any manner, tamper with evidence, or make any inducements or threats to anyone acquainted with the case. Further, the judge asked the accused to submit an undertaking that he would appear for the exam and provide supporting documentation of his appearance upon surrendering.
The 18-year-old has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for rape as well as provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. His lawyer reportedly argued that the criminal justice system aims to facilitate the rehabilitation of convicted offenders and incarcerated individuals, and the young man deserved an opportunity to appear for the medical entrance test to rectify his mistakes.
He pointed out that the accused needed time to prepare for the test, as doing so under police escort would affect his mental state, the PTI report said.
The prosecution had suggested that the accused should only be allowed to appear for the exam under police escort for a single day. They opposed the temporary bail plea, citing the serious nature of the allegations against him.
Taking note of the higher secondary exam certificate and the provisional NEET admit card produced by the defence, the court remarked that there were "perspicuous valid grounds" to release the accused on temporary bail.
