Kochi, June 20: The Kerala High Court denied bail to a 63 year old imam accused of sexually assaulting an eight year old girl student at a madrasa, observing that the allegations prima facie indicated a premeditated criminal act.
Justice Kauser Edappagath dismissed the bail plea and held that the accused could not be released at this stage considering the seriousness of the allegations, the gravity of the offence and the circumstances of the case.
According to the prosecution, the accused has remained in judicial custody since February 8 this year. Investigators alleged that he sexually assaulted the minor while she was attending classes at the madrasa.
The prosecution informed the court that the case was registered under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the Juvenile Justice Care and Protection of Children Act, 2015.
Seeking bail, the accused argued that he had been falsely implicated and claimed there was no material linking him to the alleged offence.
However, after examining the case records, the court rejected the plea. The court observed that the materials placed before it indicated serious allegations and found sufficient grounds to deny bail at this stage.
The matter will continue to proceed as per law before the competent court.
Now you can get the latest stories from Indtoday on Telegram every day. Click the link to subscribe. Click to follow Indtoday’s Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram. For all the latest Hyderabad News updates and Follow us on GoogleNews
