Mumbai, January 13: A special POCSO court in Mumbai recently rejected the bail application of a 45-year-old "schizophrenic" who has been booked for allegedly raping two minor girls in the city. The accused, a resident of Goregaon, was arrested for sexually assaulting and raping two 8-year-old girls from his society in 2015. The judge said that the accused is a "habitual offender" while rejecting his bail.

Special judge SM Takalikar also said that there is a possibility of the accused repeating the crime and pressurising the girls if released on bail, reports Hindustan Times. The alleged incident came to light on October 29, 2015, when the complaint was informed by his daughter about the alleged sexual assault. The accused had followed the girls and later raped them after taking the duo to a secluded spot in 2015. Mumbai Shocker: Man Lures Minor Girl Playing Near Her House With Food, Rapes Her in Malwani; Arrested.

After hearing his daughter's ordeal, the man approached Amboli police and lodged a complaint against the accused, who was subsequently arrested. During the trial, the accused's lawyers said that the case against their client was "very doubtful" as the girls did not cry or shout for help. They also said that their client was being treated for schizophrenia at JJ Hospital.

However, the court rejected the lawyers' defence of mental illness. The special POCSO court noted that the accused had submitted a medical report in 2018, which stated that he was treated for schizophrenia between 2010 and 2014. The judge further said that the offence was committed in 2015 while ordering a medical evaluation of the accused. Mumbai: Kurla Man Who Raped 19-Year-Old Daughter Multiple Times in 2019 Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison.

The special POCOS court also observed that in the past, the accused was convicted in another case in 2021 for outraging the modesty of a minor girl. The judge noted that the accused was out on bail when he committed the second crime and had not taken the defence of his mental illness in the said trial. The accused was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and a few sections of the POCSO Act, 2012.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 14, 2024 09:48 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).