Supreme Court Grants Anticipatory Bail In POCSO Case Amid Allegations Of Family Vendetta

Last Updated:July 17, 2025, 14:30 IST

Arguing before the bench, the counsels for the petitioner claimed that the case was a product of a long-standing enmity between the petitioner and the complainant’s father.

A file photo of the Supreme Court of India (PTI)

In a case tangled in family feuds and courtroom battles, the Supreme Court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to a man booked under several sections of Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).

A two judges bench of the Apex Court presided over by Justices Manoj Misra and Ujjwal Bhuyan granted anticipatory bail to Mahesh LR on a personal bond of Rs 25,000.

“In the meantime, it is provided that if the petitioner is arrested in connection with FIR No. 449/2025 PS Vanchiyoor District Thiruvanthapuram City, he shall be released on a personal bond of Rs 25,000/- subject to an undertaking that he will cooperate with the investigation/trial and shall not threaten the victim or tamper with the evidence," the order read.

Arguing before the bench, counsels for the petitioner Advocates Tarini K Nayak and C Arvind, claimed that the case was a product of a long-standing enmity between the petitioner and the complainant’s father. It was pointed to that a delay of over four years in lodging the First Information Report (FIR) is a significant factor which casts doubt over the credibility of the complaint, suggesting the possibility of tutoring of the complainant by her father

The petitioner, also a close friend of the complainant’s mother — who herself is a co-accused — allegedly supported her in the ongoing family court disputes with her estranged husband, i.e. the father of the complainant. The mother, previously granted anticipatory bail by the Kerala High Court, is accused of pressuring the child to “sleep with the accused," according to the FIR filed in April 2025. The alleged incidents, however, date back to 2021, intensifying scrutiny over the timing and motives behind the complaint.

The petitioner approached the Supreme Court after the Kerala High Court dismissed his plea for anticipatory bail and rejecting his contention that the case stemmed from “severe matrimonial strife".

Ananya Bhatnagar

Ananya Bhatnagar, Correspondent at CNN-News18, reports on various legal issues and cases in lower courts and the Delhi High Court. He has covered the hanging of the Nirbhaya gang-rape convicts, JNU violence, De...Read More

Ananya Bhatnagar, Correspondent at CNN-News18, reports on various legal issues and cases in lower courts and the Delhi High Court. He has covered the hanging of the Nirbhaya gang-rape convicts, JNU violence, De...

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