Accused’s lawyer had posed as cop, faces court’s ire
THE SURVIVOR HAD ALLEGED THAT THE LAWYER HAD POSED AS A COP AND HAD TRIED TO COERCE HER TO WITHDRAW HER CASE
MUMBAI: A special POCSO court has recommended action against a lawyer who tried to coerce a minor rape survivor to withdraw the case.
The court has referred the matter to the Bar Council of Maharashtra for taking action against the advocate.
According to the case details, a 17-year-old girl who had broken up with her 23-year-old dance partner after finding out he was an alcoholic, was raped by him on July 22, 2013, when she turned down his proposal to continue their relationship. An FIR was then registered against the accused at Sakinaka police station on July 23.
On August 26, 2014, when the cross examination of the survivor was scheduled, she told the court that the lawyer of the accused had visited her house before they came to the court posing as an officer of Sakinaka police station.
In her written complaint filed before the court, she alleged that the lawyer asked her to withdraw the case and also said he can shoot the accused in the jail.
She sought the court’s support, pleading that the lawyer attempted to fool her by posing as an officer.
However, there was no action until June 2018. The plea stayed on record, but was not exhibited as evidence against the accused. When public prosecutor Geeta Sharma asked the court to consider the survivor’s plea for protection, the court asked the accused to reply to the accusation against the lawyer on June 20. The court held that it would decide on the plea only while pronouncing the final verdict.
On October 22, five years after the incident, the court held the accused guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
In the final verdict, the court observed that “as the allegations made against the lawyer by the survivor are of serious nature the matter is required to be reported to the Secretary, Bar Council of Maharashtra through Principal Judge, City Civil & Sessions Court, Mumbai, for information and necessary action”.