Bombay HC refuses to quash FIR against father for showing private parts to minor daughter

Bombay High Court today refused to grant relief to a perverted father, who had been caught at home in Mumbai showing his private parts to his eight-year-old daughter.

An FIR was lodged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) after the girl's mother took her to a nearby police station where she narrated what had happened. Following this, the accused father claimed in the court that the girl's mother, who had filed the case on behalf of the minor, had given her consent to withdraw the case.

The division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Anuja Prabhudesai, however, refused to give the accused father any relief, saying, "The perverted man should face trial." The lawyer appearing on behalf of the girl's mother, who was also present in the court, urged the court to quash the FIR. The father's lawyer spoke about how the minor would have to go to court to depose and that could be a harrowing experience for the girl. He even went on to tell the court that in its order, the court could write that the order should not be seen as a precedent, which would mean that in all such wrongdoings, other accused will start quoting this case as an example to get charges against them dropped. However, Justice More said, "He is the father of a minor girl. How could he do it? This does not appeal to our conscience."

However, the court did allow the father to withdraw his petition. While hearing the petition, other advocates in the court asked the public prosecutor in the case whether the father was a step father or whether there was a dispute going on between the girl's parents for divorce. In response, the public prosecutor said that the parents were staying together with their daughter under one roof.