The Delhi High Court on Monday cancelled the bail granted to a 57 year old staff member of a private school in Delhi’s Janakpuri, who is accused of raping a three year old girl.
A vacation bench of Justice Vinod Kumar ordered the accused to surrender before the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court on July 1 at 2:00 PM.
"I’ve agreed with the state and petitioners. Both the petitions are allowed. The respondent is directed to surrender before the POCSO court on July 1 at 2pm," the court said while pronouncing the verdict.
A detailed copy of the written verdict is currently awaited.
The High Court’s ruling came in response to two separate appeals filed by the Delhi Police and the victim's mother. Both parties had challenged a trial court’s May 7 decision, which had previously granted the accused bail on a surety bond of ₹20,000.
According to the police case, the alleged assault took place on April 30 during school hours which was only the child's second day after being admitted to the school.
The child’s mother lodged a complaint at the Janakpuri police station after the toddler returned home and complained of pain. The child told her mother that she had been taken to an isolated area inside the school premises where the staff member assaulted her.
Following the complaint, the Delhi Police arrested the staffer on May 1 and placed him in judicial custody. He was charged under Section 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) the criminal law code covering the rape of minors and Section 6 of the POCSO Act.
The incident sparked major safety concerns, prompting the Delhi government's Directorate of Education (DoE) to issue a show cause notice to the school management on May 8.
The education department highlighted severe lapses in child safety, supervision, and compliance with rules.
The DoE warned the school authorities that a failure to give a satisfactory response could lead to the school losing its official recognition or a complete takeover of its management by the government.
During the High Court hearing, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, representing the Delhi Police, argued strongly for the cancellation of bail. He pointed out that the young child had already successfully identified both the accused staff member and a teacher during a test identification parade (a formal police lineup used to verify a suspect's identity).
On the other hand, the defense counsel, KK Manan, strongly opposed the police petition, arguing that no such incident had taken place. However, the High Court sided with the prosecution and the victim's family, ordering the accused back into custody.
