Court discharges bar owner, Manager, two female dancers in a POCSO case

NEW DLEHI: The Tis Hazari court of Delhi has recently discharged a restaurant owner, a manager and two female dancers in the case related to an alleged obscene dance. It was also alleged that a minor girl was employed to perform an obscene dance. During the raid, a minor girl was found dancing in the bar.

However, the court was convinced by the argument of defence counsel that the minor showed documents as per which she was a major at the time of getting employed at Green Chilli Bar at Pahar Ganj.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Balvinder Singh discharged bar owner Sandeep Kumar Manchanda, manager Inderjeet Singh Lovely and two female dancers.

After investigation, the Delhi Police crime branch had filed a charge against the accused persons under sections 294 and 109 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

It was the case of the prosecution that on October 7, 2022, the crime branch had conducted a raid on Green Chilli Bar after getting information that minor girls were doing semi-naked dance at the Bar.

During the raid, the police had found a minor girl doing an obscene dance at the said bar. The police apprehended the accused persons, and a charge sheet was filed against them.

During the arguments on charge, Advocate Rishabh Jain argued on behalf of the accused persons.

He argued that the bar was covered by CCTV cameras s but police didn’t produce the footage before the court.

It was also argued that the victims’ alleged semi-naked clothes were not seized by police. It was also argued that though the police officials were on the spot for two hours, the videographer and photographer were not taken in the said raid.

The investigation was silent concerning the manner in which the dancers were dancing obscenely. After considering the submissions made by the counsel for the accused, the court discharged the accused persons for the offence under section 294/109/34 IPC and 12 POCSO Act. (ANI)