A Gurgaon court earlier this week refused to grant anticipatory bail to TV news anchor Chitra Tripathi in a 2013 Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act case, noting that the reasons cited in the bail plea were “inappropriate”. Were.
On 14 November, the court had issued a non-bailable warrant for Tripathi’s arrest for failing to appear before her, saying she was taking the court proceedings “quite lightly”. A warrant was also issued against news anchor Syed Suhail of another TV channel.
Eight media professionals were booked for allegedly circulating a video of a 10-year-old girl in a “lewd and obscene manner” and later uploading it on the internet and linking it to the sexual assault case against the self-styled godman. Asaram BapuThe case was registered under Indian Penal Code sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 469 (forgery with intent to defame) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document); Sections 67B (publishing or transmitting in electronic form material depicting children in sexually explicit acts, etc.) and 66(2) (computer-related offences) of the Information Technology Act; And Section 23 of the POCSO Act under which disclosure of the identity of a child is a punishable offence.
Tripathi and Suhail had filed applications seeking exemption from personal appearance in the court. While Tripathi said that she was traveling to Nashik Maharashtra To cover the assembly elections and interview NCP chief Ajit Pawar, Suhail said he had to attend a political event in Kanpur. Uttar Pradesh Due to by-election.
While filing his bail plea, Tripathi reiterated the reasons for his absence.
The bail was rejected on November 25 as the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Ashwini Kumar said the grounds for bail were the same as non-appearance. The court said that the application was rejected after feeling dissatisfied with the reasons given in the application…and since the present application is based on the same grounds, it is necessary to reject it because this court found those reasons unreasonable Is. ,” it said.
Tripathi had submitted photographs of his flight ticket and interview with the acting Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde And Pawar will have to confirm his application. The court said that keeping in mind the status and busy schedules of these politicians, the interviews would have been scheduled well in advance and if the accused had even the slightest respect for the process of the court, he would have exempted himself from his appearance by filing an exemption application in person. Could get. On any other date before the scheduled date.
In its order issuing the warrant, the court had directed the concerned station house officer to execute the warrant and appear in person in case the warrant is not issued.
Counsel for the complainant said that on the previous two dates, the appearance of accused Tripathi was exempted on health grounds, but now, no reasonable ground is made out to exempt the appearance of the accused.
“…this court finds no justification in exempting her from her presence as she appears to be taking the court process quite lightly. The present case pertains to the year 2015 and if proceedings are not taken expeditiously, it will not be practically possible to quickly dispose of the case, which is already nine years old. Therefore, the application seeking remission on behalf of accused Chitra Tripathi is rejected,” the court said, canceling the bail and forfeiting the bail bonds and surety bonds of both the accused.