Jaipur: Rajasthan High Court dismissed a second application seeking suspension of sentence filed by a man convicted in a Pocso Act case, observing that the argument regarding delay in hearing of appeal could not be accepted as the court functioned on two Saturdays every month to clear pending criminal matters.In an order dated Feb 11, the copy of which was uploaded Saturday. Justice Ashok Kumar Jain rejected the application filed by Monu alias Taplu, who was convicted by a Pocso court in Alwar on Dec 2, 2024, and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment.The appellant’s counsel, Satendra Raghav, argued that the trial court overlooked material contradictions and that the conviction largely rested on the testimony of the victim without independent corroboration. “The victim was about 16 years old and the medical examination did not indicate injuries,” he argued.He added that the appellant had already spent more than 1 year and 8 months in custody, and there were no immediate chances of his appeal being heard on merits.Opposing the plea, the public prosecutor submitted that the victim was a minor and clearly alleged rape in her statement before the trial court, on the basis of which the conviction was recorded.Rejecting the plea, the HC observed that under Pocso Act, any sexual activity involving a person below 18 years of age constituted an offence, irrespective of consent.Justice Jain also noted that the high court functioned on two Saturdays every month to reduce backlog, particularly in cases involving accused persons in custody. It observed that if the appellant believed his case was strong, he could seek listing of the appeal for hearing on a working Saturday.
