Pune: The Additional Sessions Court of Pune has discharged 79-year-old Bishop Emeritus Thomas Dabre of Pune Suba, co-concerned in the 2018 case related to sexual abuse of a minor.
A first Information Report (FIR) was registered at Hudapsar Police Station in 2018 and was later transferred to Kondhwa police station, stating that Father Vincent Perera allegedly sexually abused a 15-year-old boy, while two other major members of the church did not act allegedly against the Bombris from the Bombris.
The Dabre transferred an discharge application under Section 227 (discharge of an accused in a session test) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CRPC), stating that the allegations were “baseless and unclear” and was “wrongly implicated,” was not a proof against children for the protection of children, “for sexual relations.
Opposing the petition, the Assistant Public Prosecutor argued that Dabre’s “active participation in crime” was the prima facial evidence, and said the matter was strong enough for punishment.
However, the court disagreed. Judge Anirudh Gandhi of additional sessions said, “There is no prima face evidence against the allegations of allegations under Section 21 (1) and 21 (2) of the POCSO Act against the accused.”
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The order, which was passed on 8 August and uploaded on the court website on Saturday, said the FIR did not allege that Dabre stopped the family from filing a complaint. “Conversely, the father of the survivor admitted that Dabre had asked him to contact the police. Despite the knowledge of the incident in February 2018, the complaint was filed only by six months on September 14, 2018,” the order said.
The court further filed that the girl’s father wrote to Dabre on 16 February 2018, demanding the transfer of Perera. Dabre later convened a meeting, where Vikas Tengire, Head Constable of Wanwadi Police Station, was present. The constable allegedly advised that only victims or parents can file police complaints.
Additionally, a letter dated on March 20, 2018, released on Dabre’s instructions revealed that Father stopped Green had informed the Vanwadi police about Perera’s alleged misconduct and action against him. “It shows that the accused (Dabre) reported the incident to the police,” the court saw.
“The content of Section 21 of the POCSO Act has not been completed. Conversely, it is the material to show that the applicant has complied with the provisions of the law. For laps, the accused cannot be held responsible,” the order said.
