
Supreme Court imposes interim stay on proceedings against govt official over rape of minor
The Hindu
Supreme court was hearing a plea filed by A.V. Premnath, who was posted as joint secretary at Delhi Secretariat, seeking a CBI investigation into alleged criminal conspiracy against him
The Supreme Court has ordered an interim stay on the proceedings against a senior government official accused of molesting and raping a minor girl in Uttarakhand’s Almora.
A Bench of Justices V. Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal issued notices to the Uttarakhand Government, the Central Bureau of Investigation and others while seeking their response in four weeks.
Senior advocate Dama Sheshadri Naidu, appearing for the petitioner, told the court that the report of the Medical Officer, Government Hospital, Ranikhet, also countersigned by the Remand Magistrate, Almora, records the fact that the petitioner is a bilateral amputee (100% handicapped by hands).
“The said report was made when the petitioner was arrested and was medically examined at the time of production before the Magistrate.
“Since the petition raises serious questions, issue notice, returnable in four weeks. It is stated that the final report has been filed on November 30, 2022 and the charges are yet to be framed. Therefore, there shall be an interim stay of further proceedings,” the Bench said. The top court was hearing a plea filed by A.V. Premnath, who was posted as joint secretary at Delhi Secretariat, seeking a CBI investigation into alleged criminal conspiracy against him.
The officer had been charged under the POCSO Act and IPC sections 376 (rape), 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences) and 506 (criminal intimidation), and some provisions of the Information Technology Act. The police had claimed that the accused molested the minor in a school run by his wife’s NGO ‘Pleasure Valley Foundation’ in Dandakanda village.

Minister for Water Resources Roshy Augustine paid his respects to Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Friday ahead of the funeral planned on Saturday. Mr. Augustine is in the Vatican as the official representative of the Kerala government. He paid his respects to the late pontiff along with Cardinals Baselios Cleemis and George Jacob Koovakad. Mr. Augustine reached the Vatican on Friday morning. He will return to India on Sunday after attending the funeral, the Minister’s office said in a statement.