Mitali Palnitkar
Published on: March 22, 2022 at 13:26 IST
The Delhi High Court denied Bail to a woman accused of trafficking a 14-year-old Tribal girl. It noted that the minor girl was subjected to heinous crimes and was exploited, abused, and tortured.
Justice Chandra Dhari Singh observed, “The Offences under Sections 370 and 376 of the IPC are grave and serious in nature and have adverse social implications. The Petitioner has been charged for trafficking a minor girl which is in itself a heinous offence.”
A First Information Report was registered against the woman for Offences under Sections 370 (Buying or disposing of any person as a slave), 376D (Intercourse by any member of Management/Staff of hospital with any woman in the hospital), 376(2)(n) (Rape), 323 (Causing hurt voluntarily), 120B (Criminal Conspiracy), 506 (Criminal Intimidation), and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC).
An Application was filed by the Complainant under Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code stating that she was an Adiwasi girl from Jharkhand, who was brought to Delhi in search for work. She worked as a house maid with the Accused Anand and Chintamani, who were running a Placement Office.
She alleged that she was forcefully brought to the house of Anand as a maid after one year of work. However, whenever she asked for salary, she was not paid and instead tortured.
She further alleged that Anand raped her several times while she was living in his house. However, when she complained about it to Chintamani, she used to beat and threaten the Complainant.
The First Information Report stated that the Accused sent the Complainant to the Petitioner in Uttar Pradesh and was then sent to Haryana.
It was also alleged that another Accused raped the Complainant and treated her like a Slave and told her that she was purchased from the Petitioner for Rs 2 lakhs.
The Complainant ran away from the house of Accused one day and came to Delhi and lodged a First Information Report.
The Petitioner surrendered before the Court. She was sent to Judicial Custody on March 20, 2021.
On observing the gravity of Offences, the Court denied Bail to the Petitioner. Accordingly, it dismissed the Plea.
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