# Ganga Prasad & Ors. Revisionists v. State Of U.P. & Anr

- **Citation:** (2016) 7 ILRA 894
- **Court:** High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
- **Decided:** 2016-07-08
- **Bench:** Mrs. Vijay Lakshmi
- **Source:** https://unisonlegal.in/judgment/allahabad-high-court/ganga-prasad-ors-revisionists-v-state-of-u-p-anr-44224
- **Pages:** 5

## Headnote

Para 1: The revisionists seek to set aside a summoning order dated 09.05.2013 (pertaining to a 2015 case)
issued by the Additional Session Judge, Pilibhit. They were summoned via Section 319 Cr.P.C. for offences
including kidnapping (363, 366), rape (376), criminal intimidation (504, 506), and Sections 11/12 of the
POCSO Act.

Para 2: The Court heard the counsel for the revisionists and the learned A.G.A. and reviewed the case record.

Para 3: The revisionists argued they were falsely implicated by the complainant to harass the main accused's
father and brothers. They pointed out that the police originally did not charge-sheet them and that the
victim's trial statement contained no allegations of rape or sexual harassment against them.

Para 4: It was further argued that the medical evidence (P.W. 4) placed the victim's age between 17 to 19
years, and there was no evidence satisfying the specific criteria for sexual harassment under the POCSO Act.

Para 5: The A.G.A. opposed the revision but admitted there was no specific material linking the revisionists to
the charges of rape or POCSO violations.

Para 6-7: The Court noted that the victim made no allegations of rape against the revisionists in either her
Section 164 Cr.P.C. statement or her trial testimony.
7 All. Ganga Prasad & Ors. Vs State Of U.P. & Anr.
895
Para 8: The Court reproduced Section 11 of the POCSO Act, which defines sexual harassment through specific
acts with "sexual intent," and Section 12, which provides the punishment.

Para 9-10: The Court found "no iota of evidence" that the revisionists committed any act attracting POCSO
culpability. Given the medical age report and the lack of rape allegations, the Court decided to dispose of the
revision at the admission stage.

Para 11-12: The Court held that the revisionists' roles were entirely distinguishable from the main accused
(Uma Shankar). Consequently, it set aside the summoning order specifically for Section 376 I.P.C. and
Sections 11/12 of the POCSO Act.

Para 13-14: However, the Court refused to quash the summoning for the remaining sections (363, 366, 504,
506 I.P.C.), noting that at the summoning stage, only prima facie evidence is required, which was present for
these charges.

Para 15-16: The Court directed the revisionists to apply for bail within 30 days. It ordered the lower court to
consider the bail application in light of the Amrawati and Lal Kamlendra Pratap Singh precedents and stayed
coercive action for that 30-day period.

Para 17: The revision was partly allowed and finally disposed of with these observations.

List of Citations

Amrawati and another Vs. State of U.P., 2004 (57) ALR 290 (Full Bench)
Lal Kamlendra Pratap Singh Vs. State of U.P., 2009 (3) ADJ 322 (SC)

## Text

894 INDIAN LAW REPORTS ALLAHABAD SERIES

detail by the court below, the revision appears to have no force and it is liable to be dismissed at the
admission stage.

12. The revision is accordingly dismissed.
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REVISIONAL JURISDICTION
CRIMINAL SIDE
DATED: ALLAHABAD 08.07.2016

BEFORE

THE HON'BLE MRS. VIJAY LAKSHMI, J.

Criminal Revision No.- 1574 Of 2016

Ganga Prasad & Ors. ...Revisionists
Versus
State Of U.P. & Anr. ...Opposite Parties

Counsel for the Revisionists:
Shri Bipin Pal Singh

Counsel for the Opposite Parties:
G.A.

Held -

Para 1: The revisionists seek to set aside a summoning order dated 09.05.2013 (pertaining to a 2015 case)
issued by the Additional Session Judge, Pilibhit. They were summoned via Section 319 Cr.P.C. for offences
including kidnapping (363, 366), rape (376), criminal intimidation (504, 506), and Sections 11/12 of the
POCSO Act.

Para 2: The Court heard the counsel for the revisionists and the learned A.G.A. and reviewed the case record.

Para 3: The revisionists argued they were falsely implicated by the complainant to harass the main accused's
father and brothers. They pointed out that the police originally did not charge-sheet them and that the
victim's trial statement contained no allegations of rape or sexual harassment against them.

Para 4: It was further argued that the medical evidence (P.W. 4) placed the victim's age between 17 to 19
years, and there was no evidence satisfying the specific criteria for sexual harassment under the POCSO Act.

Para 5: The A.G.A. opposed the revision but admitted there was no specific material linking the revisionists to
the charges of rape or POCSO violations.

Para 6-7: The Court noted that the victim made no allegations of rape against the revisionists in either her
Section 164 Cr.P.C. statement or her trial testimony.
7 All. Ganga Prasad & Ors. Vs State Of U.P. & Anr.
895
Para 8: The Court reproduced Section 11 of the POCSO Act, which defines sexual harassment through specific
acts with "sexual intent," and Section 12, which provides the punishment.

Para 9-10: The Court found "no iota of evidence" that the revisionists committed any act attracting POCSO
culpability. Given the medical age report and the lack of rape allegations, the Court decided to dispose of the
revision at the admission stage.

Para 11-12: The Court held that the revisionists' roles were entirely distinguishable from the main accused
(Uma Shankar). Consequently, it set aside the summoning order specifically for Section 376 I.P.C. and
Sections 11/12 of the POCSO Act.

Para 13-14: However, the Court refused to quash the summoning for the remaining sections (363, 366, 504,
506 I.P.C.), noting that at the summoning stage, only prima facie evidence is required, which was present for
these charges.

Para 15-16: The Court directed the revisionists to apply for bail within 30 days. It ordered the lower court to
consider the bail application in light of the Amrawati and Lal Kamlendra Pratap Singh precedents and stayed
coercive action for that 30-day period.

Para 17: The revision was partly allowed and finally disposed of with these observations.

List of Citations

Amrawati and another Vs. State of U.P., 2004 (57) ALR 290 (Full Bench)
Lal Kamlendra Pratap Singh Vs. State of U.P., 2009 (3) ADJ 322 (SC)

(Delivered by Hon'ble Mrs. Vijay Lakshmi, J.)

1. Challenging its legality and correctness, the revisionists have prayed to set aside the
order dated 9.5.2013 passed by the Additional Session Judge, Court No. 1, Pilibhit in S.T. No. 02 of
2015 ( State Vs. Umashankar) arising out of Case Crime No. 490 of 2015 under Sections 363, 366,
376, 504 and 506 I.P.C. and 11/12 POCSO Act, P.S. Jahanabad, district Pilibhit on the application
under Section 319 Cr.P.C. whereby the revisionists have been summoned to face trial under the
aforesaid sections.

2. Heard learned counsel for the revisionists and the learned A.G.A. Perused the record.

3. Learned counsel for the revisionists has submitted that the revisionists are innocent and
they have wrongly been summoned by learned trial court on the application under Section 319
Cr.P.C.; the police after completion of investigation had not submitted charge-sheet against them
however, the court below, after allowing the application under Section 319 Cr.P.C. has summoned
the revisionists without considering the fact that there is no evidence on record to implicate them in
the aforesaid offence. Learned counsel has drawn the attention of this Court to the statement of the
victim recorded during trial before the court in which she has not uttered even a single word against
the revisionists about the commission of rape on her or about any such fact on the basis of which
Sections 11 and 12 of POCSO Act could have been made out against them. Learned counsel has
896 INDIAN LAW REPORTS ALLAHABAD SERIES

further submitted that with malafide intention to unnecessarily harass the revisionists, who
all are real brothers and father of main accused Uma Shankar, the complainant/opposite
party no. 2 has involved them in the aforesaid offence. The contention of learned counsel is
that the learned trial court while treating all the accused alike, has wrongly summoned all
of them without considering the fact that their roles are entirely different from the main
accused Uma Shankar. It is further contended that the radiological age of the prosecutrix
has been found to be between 17 to 19 years as has been stated by P.W. 4 Dr. Smt. Santosh
Rana. There is no iota of evidence against the revisionist that they committed any of the
acts coming within the purview of Sections 11 and 12 of POCSO Act. Hence the
summoning of the revisionists under aforesaid sections appears to be without any basis and
against the law.

4. Learned A.G.A. has opposed the revision but he failed to point out any relevant
material showing the involvement of the revisionists in the offences under Section 376 of
I.P.C. and Sections 11 and 12 of POCSO Act.

5. Considered the submissions

6. The victim, neither in her statement recorded before the Magistrate under Section
164 Cr.P.C. nor in her statement recorded during trial, has made any allegation of
committing rape against the revisionists.

7. So far as Sections 11 and 12 of POCSO Act are concerned, both of these
provisions are reproduced here as under :

 "Section 11. A person is said to commit sexual harassment upon a child
when such person with sexual intent -

(i) Utters any word or makes any sound, or makes any gesture or exhibits
any object or part of body with the intention that such word or sound shall be heard, or
such gesture or object or part of body shall be seen by the child; or

(ii) Makes a child exhibit his body or any part of his body so as it is seen by
such perwson or any other person; or

(iii) Shows any object to a child in any form or medial for pornographic
purposes; or
(iv) repeatedly or constantly follows or watches or contacts a child either
directly or through electronic, digital or any other means; or

(v) Threatens to use, in any form of media, a real or fabricated depiction
through electronic, film or digital or any other mode, of any part of the body of the child or
the involvement of the child in a sexual act; or
7 All. Ganga Prasad & Ors. Vs State Of U.P. & Anr.
897
(vi)Entices a child for pornographic purposes or gives gratification
therefor.

Section 12- Whoever, commits sexual harassment upon a child shall be
punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three
years and shall also be liable to fine."

8. There is no iota of evidence on record that any of the revisionists has done any
such act so as to attract the culpability under the aforesaid sections. Moreover, as per the
statement of lady doctor, the radiological age of the prosecutrix was between 17 to 19
years. There is no allegation of rape against any of the revisionists.

9. Considering the peculiar facts and circumstances of this case there does not
appear any sense in keeping this revision pending any further and it deserves to be finally
disposed of at the admission stage itself.

10. Keeping in view the facts and circumstances as discussed above and the fact
that the case of present revisionist is entirely distinguishable from the case of Uma
Shankar, who is the main accused, the summoning of the revisionists so far as it relates to
the offence under Section 376 I.P.C. and 11/12 of POCSO Act deserves to be set aside.

11. Accordingly the revision is partly allowed and impugned summoning order so
far as it relates to the offence under Section 376 I.P.C. and 11/12 of POCSO Act is set
aside.

12. So far as the remaining sections of I.P.C. under which the revisionists have been
summoned are concerned, on the basis of prima facie material, it cannot be said that no
offence is made out against them. It is well settled that at the stage of summoning, only
prima facie evidence is to be looked into.

13. Hence, the prayer for setting aside the summoning order under remaining
sections i.e. Sections 363, 366, 504 and 506 I.P.C. is refused.

14. However, it is directed that if the revisionists appear before the courts below
and apply for bail within 30 days from today under the aforesaid remaining sections, the
court below shall make all endeavour to decide their bail applications keeping in view the
observations made by this Court in the Full Bench decision of Amrawati and another Vs.
State of U.P. 2004 (57) ALR 290 and affirmed by Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of
Lal Kamlendra Pratap Singh Vs. State of U.P. 2009 (3) ADJ 322 (SC). For the aforesaid
period of 30 days no coercive action shall be taken against the revisionists.

15. With the aforesaid observations this revision is finally disposed off.
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898 INDIAN LAW REPORTS ALLAHABAD SERIES

APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CRIMINAL SIDE
DATED: ALLAHABAD 08.07.2016

BEFORE

THE HON'BLE MRS. VIJAY LAXMI, J.

Criminal Appeal No.- 4013 Of 2013

Panna ...Appellant
Versus
State Of U.P. ...Respondent

Counsel for the Appellant:
Shri K.D. Tiwari

Counsel for the Respondent:
G.A.

Held -

Background of Appeal
This appeal challenges the judgment dated August 13, 2013, by the Additional Sessions Judge, Rampur,
which convicted the appellant (Panna) under Sections 452, 376, and 506 of the I.P.C. The appellant was
sentenced to various terms, including 7 years Rigorous Imprisonment for rape.

Prosecution Case
The prosecution alleged that on August 25, 2011, while the prosecutrix's parents were away, the appellant
entered their home and forcibly raped the 15-year-old victim. Witnesses Ram Phool and Rajpal allegedly
arrived upon hearing her screams, after which the accused fled.

Defense and Trial Court Findings
The appellant denied all charges, claiming false implication due to a wage dispute. The trial court convicted
the appellant primarily on the testimony of the prosecutrix, adhering to the principle that a woman would not
risk her prestige by making false allegations of rape.

Evidence of the Parents and Witnesses
The High Court noted that the parents (P.W. 2 and P.W. 4) were not eye-witnesses. Of the two alleged
witnesses, only Ram Phool (P.W. 5) was examined. The court scrutinized whether the prosecutrix's testimony
met the "sterling witness" standard required for conviction on sole testimony.

Material Contradictions in Testimony
Several discrepancies were identified: the prosecutrix claimed the incident happened on a cot in the
courtyard, while P.W. 5 claimed it happened inside a room with a locked door. Furthermore, the prosecutrix
and her mother claimed clothes were handed to the police, but the Investigating Officer (I.O.) denied
receiving any.

Medical Discrepancies