Delhi High Court to rule on Janakpuri school rape bail after mother reports threat
The mother of a three-year-old girl who was allegedly raped at a private school in Janakpuri informed the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that she was threatened and intimidated by the son of the accused staff member. The intimidation reportedly took place near Gate No. 7 of the Delhi High Court on the day of the hearing.
Following the mother's in-person submission, a vacation bench of Justice Vinod Kumar announced that the High Court will pronounce its verdict on Monday. The court is reviewing appeals filed by both the Delhi Police and the victim's mother against a trial court's decision to grant bail to the accused.
During the Wednesday hearing, the mother's lawyer told the court that subsequent incidents of threat and intimidation had occurred earlier that day.
The case began when the child's mother filed a complaint at the Janakpuri police station, alleging that her daughter was sexually assaulted on the school premises during school hours on April 30. This occurred on the second day after the child was admitted to the school.
The Delhi Police arrested the 57-year-old school staff member on May 1 and remanded him to judicial custody. He was charged under Section 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertains to the rape of minors, and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
On May 7, a trial court granted the accused staffer bail on the condition that he furnish surety bonds of ₹20,000. The Delhi Police, represented by Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, subsequently moved the High Court to challenge the bail. Raju argued that the case was "gross" and that the bail should be cancelled because the child had identified the accused during a test identification parade. KK Manan, the counsel representing the accused staffer, opposed the petition and asserted that no such incident had occurred.
The incident also prompted administrative action. On May 8, the Delhi government issued a show-cause notice to the school management over safety and supervision lapses, warning of potential derecognition. Additionally, a female teacher was arrested on May 14 and granted bail on May 20. The Delhi Police's appeal against her bail is scheduled to be heard on July 8.
