NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Monday urged the Delhi High Court to cancel the bail granted to a female teacher in connection with the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl by a staff member inside a private school in west Delhi’s Janakpuri area.Justice Saurabh Banerjee issued notice to the teacher on the police plea challenging the trial court order dated May 20 that granted her bail in the case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.The court also granted time to the main accused, Lalit Kumar, to file his response to the police plea challenging the bail granted to him by the trial court. Both matters have been listed for hearing on June 17 before a vacation bench.The teacher was arrested for allegedly concealing the incident from the authorities and was remanded to one day’s police custody by the trial court on May 14.The case surfaced on May 1 after the victim’s mother filed a complaint at Janakpuri police station, alleging that her daughter had been sexually assaulted during school hours by the main accused, Kumar.According to the complaint, the child had attended school on April 30, which was her second day after admission. After returning home, she complained of pain. When questioned by her mother, the girl said that she was taken to an isolated area in the school, where the man allegedly assaulted her.Based on the complaint, police registered a case under Section 64(1) (punishment for rape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 6 (Punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act.Section 6 mandates a minimum of 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, which can be extended to life imprisonment, or death penalty for the offence.Section 6 of the POCSO Act mandates a minimum punishment of 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, which may extend to life imprisonment or even the death penalty.Police said the child identified the accused, following which the 57-year-old school caretaker was arrested on May 1. He was later sent to judicial custody after being produced before a court.However, a court in Dwarka granted him bail on May 7 despite opposition from the prosecution.Earlier too, Delhi Police had challenged the trial court’s order granting bail to the caretaker, arguing that it was a “gross case” and that relief had been granted within days of the accused’s arrest despite the survivor identifying him as the perpetrator.(With PTI inputs)
