The Supreme Court has overturned a Rajasthan High Court's order which granted bail to a rape accused, who is the son of a sitting MLA, and ordered the man to surrender within two weeks. The accused has been identified as Deepak Meena who is the son of Congress MLA Johari Lal Meena. The top court gave this verdict noting that the accused could influence the witnesses.
"The fact that accused Deepak is the son of sitting MLA would disclose the domineering influence he would wield not only in delaying the proceedings but also in pressurizing the witnesses to either resile from their statement given during the course of investigation, or pose a threat to them from deposing against accused on their failure to act according to his dictates, or induce them to testify as per his dictates or to help the defence of the accused," the Supreme court noted.
The apex court was hearing an appeal challenging an order dated April 6 passed by a single judge of the High Court of Rajasthan. The high court had granted bail to the accused.
What's the case?
A 15-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by three people in Mandawar in Rajasthan’s Dausa district. In March 2022, the FIR was registered alleging gang rape, threat of making video of the crime viral as well as extortion. In the complaint, it was alleged that the accused took the girl to a hotel on Mahwa-Mandawar Road and raped her. The accused allegedly made an obscene video and threatened the girl.
It was also alleged that one of the accused had extorted Rs 15 lakh in cash and jewellery items from the girl by threatening her to upload the video on social media. The matter came to the light during the probe into a complaint lodged by the girl's family members after cash and jewellery went missing from their house. The family members had initially lodged a complaint of theft in the matter.
MLA's son was arrested in January
It should be mentioned here that the MLA's son was arrested in January this year for the alleged crime. The two other accused were arrested earlier. He was arrested on the directions of a special court hearing case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
(With inputs from agencies)
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