Thane: The special Pocso court rejected the bail application of a 30-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting his 9-year-old stepdaughter. The case was registered at Kopri police station under various sections of BNS, 2023, and Pocso Act. The accused was in a live-in relationship with the girl’s mother for 9 years, and they had a 5-year-old daughter.
The girl’s mother also has two elder sons from her previous marriage. The incident occurred on Sep 15, 2024, when the girl’s brothers and mother were away. The accused allegedly lured her home. The girl reported the assault to her mother the same day. Despite the mother filing a “no objection” to bail, court noted that releasing him would pose a serious risk to the victim’s safety. — Nishikant Karlikar