State Bureau, Kolkata. The Calcutta High Court has rejected the order of the District Court in the POCSO case and said that the victim cannot be called to the court again after taking her testimony. The law provides dignity and mental security to the victim. He also protects her rights.
According to the information received from the court, during the investigation of the case of missing of a minor girl in Hooghly district of the state, the police came to know that she was sold for sexual exploitation.
The accused arrested in the case had also tortured her physically and mentally. A case was registered in the case under kidnapping, human trafficking, rape, conspiracy and POCSO Act.
During the hearing, the District Court recorded the statements of the victim for two days. Even the lawyer of the accused interrogated him. About five months later, the accused's lawyer filed an appeal in the court, saying that earlier his junior lawyer had interrogated the victim, but he had forgotten to ask many important questions.
Therefore, the victim should be called again and interrogated. The accused's lawyer cited section 311 of the Penal Code. According to this section, even after the completion of the testimony, the witness can be called again and he can be interrogated again. However, this can be done only when it is absolutely necessary.
The district court accepted the application and ordered for re-interrogation. The victim's family moved the High Court against the order. Justice Chaitali Chatterjee of the court found that the district court had not given any rational reason.
The justice said that the victim had already given her statement. Calling him to court again after five months was causing mental pain and humiliation to him. This was actually an attempt to hide the mistakes of the accused. The High Court rejected the order of the district court.