Rajasthan police on Sunday, 31 October, booked a Special Judge and two others for allegedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy in Bharatpur district.
The Special Judge, Jitendra Singh, who deals with the Prevention of Corruption Act cases, was suspended after a first information report (FIR) was registered against him. Meanwhile, an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officer was also suspended for allegedly threatening the Class 8 boy, news agency ANI reported.
“On the basis of a complaint, a case has been registered against Judge Jitendra Goliya and two others for allegedly raping a 14-year-old boy under sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act,” Mathura Gate Station House Officer (SHO) Ram Nath was quoted as saying.
He added that the investigation into the matter has been handed over to a senior officer.
What Has the Family Said?
The boy’s mother alleged in her complaint that the judge and two other persons had been sexually assaulting her son for the last one month.
Allegedly, the judge befriended the boy at the District Club in Bharatpur, where he used to go to play tennis. The boy was then taken to the judge’s residence where he allegedly had unnatural sex with the minor several times, after intoxicating him with a narcotic substance.
As per the complaint, the judge and the two other accused had also threatened the boy of implicating his family in false cases if he spoke about the assault to anyone.
After the FIR, the Rajasthan High Court suspended the judge with immediate effect, while his headquarter was shifted to Jaipur during the suspension period.
How Did the Matter Come To Light?
On Friday, 29 October, in the Bharatpur police station area, the judge came to drop the child to his house by car.
The child's mother saw Singh "kiss" the child in the car. At the time, the judge fled with the car, but sent police to threaten the child and then reached himself the next day.
The FIR has also been registered under Section 377 (unnatural offences) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of the POCSO Act.
The other two accused were identified as Anshul Soni, the judge’s stenographer, and Rahul Katara, another staff of the anti-corruption court, The Hindu reported.
Further, the boy’s family has also alleged that ACB Circle Officer, Parmeshwar Lal Yadav, had threatened to kill the boy. The Home Department has suspended Yadav as well.
Meanwhile, while a video of the judge apologising to the boy and his mother has gone viral on social media, the judge has lodged a counter-complaint accusing the boy’s mother and her family of blackmailing and extortion, The Hindu reported.
(With inputs from ANI and The Hindu)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)