The Delhi High Court permitted a man, serving a 10-year rigorous jail term in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case, to attend a wedding ceremony.
Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani directed that the applicant be taken in custody by jail or police officers in plain clothes to let him attend the marriage function of his elder brother from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursday.
Advocate Aishwarya Rao, representing the man, argued that though this application was moved earlier, it has been listed now since he has approached the court through the jail-visiting counsel of the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee.
The Additional Public Prosecutor argued a pre-verification of the ground cited for interim suspension of the sentence was made and it stands confirmed that the man’s elder brother is scheduled to be married on June 24.
The Additional Public Prosecutor, however, submitted that verification from the to-be bride’s family could not be completed as the man’s father dissuaded the police officer from conducting verification from her family, saying if they find out that the applicant is in prison, they may not go ahead with the marriage.
With the Additional Public Prosecutor citing no objection to the arrangement, the court allowed the man to attend the wedding.
He is yet to serve 7 years and 8 months jail term. The court had earlier dismissed his interim bail application on the ground that he had furnished wrong information.
