Ex-sarpanch acquitted in POCSO case
Babu Singh Lodhi, in his appeal against a sessions court order, said the medical report of the girl was negative, and his political rival Rajendra Singh was the one who lodged an FIR against him.
During hearing of the petition, a bench of justices Vivek Agarwal and AK Singh found that both Lodhi and Rajendra Singh had been sarpanch of Patharia in Damoh district, and they were political rivals.
The girl's mother admitted in the court that Rajendra Singh was the one who took them to the police station to lodge the complaint.
The minor girl also told the court that she had told Rajendra Singh about the incident first. She had gone to school after the incident and Rajendra Singh, who used to visit her home, brought her back from the school.
After coming back home, she took a bath and then went to the police station to lodge the report with Rajendra Singh. The medical report of the girl was also negative.
In view of the circumstances of the case, the court set aside the order of the trial court.
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Bhopal/Jabalpur: The MP high court has acquitted a former sarpanch who had been sentenced to life imprisonment in 2024 under the POCSO Act for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl, ruling that the case appeared to have been fabricated by a political rival.
Babu Singh Lodhi, in his appeal against a sessions court order, said the medical report of the girl was negative, and his political rival Rajendra Singh was the one who lodged an FIR against him.
During hearing of the petition, a bench of justices Vivek Agarwal and AK Singh found that both Lodhi and Rajendra Singh had been sarpanch of Patharia in Damoh district, and they were political rivals.
The girl's mother admitted in the court that Rajendra Singh was the one who took them to the police station to lodge the complaint. The minor girl also told the court that she had told Rajendra Singh about the incident first.
She had gone to school after the incident and Rajendra Singh, who used to visit her home, brought her back from the school.
After coming back home, she took a bath and then went to the police station to lodge the report with Rajendra Singh. The medical report of the girl was also negative.
In view of the circumstances of the case, the court set aside the order of the trial court.
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