Teen ‘likely consented to sex’, says Thane Pocso court, gives man bail

THANE: Holding that a 15-year-old girl appeared to have had a consensual sexual relationship with a 21-year-old man and that she was "mature enough to understand the consequences of the act", a special Pocso court in Thane on Monday granted bail to the man who was arrested last Dec for allegedly abducting and sexually assaulting her.
The accused faced charges under BNS and Pocso Act.
Special judge D S Deshmukh noted that while the allegations were "serious in nature," there was evidence of a "love affair" between the man and the girl.
According to the prosecution, after the girl's father lodged a missing person complaint, police found the girl with the man in Bhiwandi's Wada area. She claimed that she and the man were in a relationship and had had sex from Dec 25-28, 2024.
The court said "no purpose will be served by keeping the man behind bars" since the investigation has been completed and the chargesheet filed. The judge relied on several precedents and other cases while granting relief to him.