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A Rouse Avenue court has granted bail to a woman accused in a child trafficking case after 11 months of custody. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team had recovered two infants from her.
Special judge (CBI) Gagndeep Singh granted bail to Pooja Kashyap after noting the period of her custody and the fact that two similarly placed accused had already been granted bail. While granting bail, the court said, "In view of the above facts and circumstances, no useful purpose would be served by keeping the accused/applicant herein behind bars." "Accordingly, the accused Pooja Kashyap is admitted to regular bail on furnishing personal bond in the sum of Rs. 30,000 with one surety in the like amount," the Special Judge ordered on March 11. The court noted that in the present case, as has already been observed, the accused/applicant was in judicial custody for more than 11 months and trial in the present case was yet to start. The allegations against the accused/applicant herein concern only Infant No. 1 and Infant No. 2, which distinguish her case from the other main conspirators involved in the trafficking of other infants recovered in the present case, the court further noted. The counsel for the accused sought bail on the main ground of her prolonged incarceration pending trial and there being no likelihood of completion of trial in the near future. Accused Pooja Kashyap was arrested on April 6, 2024, and since then, she has been lying in custody, the court noted. The court further noted that the case of the prosecution is still at the stage of summoning of additional accused named in the supplementary charge sheet filed in January 2025. Thus, it is apparent that the trial has not yet started and the delay in the said trial cannot be said to be attributable to the accused/applicant. "The investigation is pending concerning some forensic report. Therefore, it has also to be observed that there is no likelihood of even start of the trial in the near future," the court observed. The accused of the first charge sheet were discharged of the offence under section 370 (Trafficking for exploitation) of IPC. The matter was remanded back to the metropolitan magistrate for trial under section 120B (Criminal Conspiracy) read with 420 (Cheating) and 81 (sale and purchase of infant) of the Juvenile Justice Act. (ANI)
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