Calcutta High Court (Appellete Side)
Act vs In Re : Jhuma Mondal on 27 March, 2026
Author: Tirthankar Ghosh
Bench: Tirthankar Ghosh
27.03.2026 IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA
Item No.41 CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS JURISDICTION
Ct.No.35
dc.
Rejected
C.R.M. (M) 345 of 2026
In Re : An Application for bail under Section 439 of the Code
of Criminal Procedure, 1973 corresponding to Section 483 of
the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 filed in
connection with Nager Bazar Police Station Case No. 71 of
2024 dated 19.03.2024 under Sections
120B/363A/370/370A of the Indian Penal Code and Section
4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act,
2012 and Sections 3/4/5/6/7 of Immoral Traffic (Prevention)
Act, 1956 and charge-sheet submitted under Sections
120B/366A/370/370A of the Indian Penal Code and Sections
6/17 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act,
2012 and Sections 3/4/5/6/7 of Immoral Traffic (Prevention)
Act, 1956.
And
In Re : Jhuma Mondal
… Petitioner.
Mr. Anjan Bhattacharya,
Ms. Seema Thakur
… For the Petitioner.
Mr. Manoranjan Mahata
… For the State.
Affidavit-of-service filed in Court today be kept with
the record.
Learned advocate appearing for the petitioner submits
that the petitioner is in custody since 19.03.2024 and till
date, only one witness has been examined, out of 24
witnesses cited in the charge-sheet. As such, petitioner may
be released on bail on any stringent condition.
Learned advocate appearing for the State, on the other
hand, opposes the prayer for bail and submits that the
allegations are under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal
2
Code, Section 4 of the POCSO Act as well as relevant
provisions of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.
I have taken into account the materials collected by
the investigating agency. Having considered the gravity of the
offence which involves trafficking of minors, at this stage, I
am not inclined to release the petitioner on bail. As such, the
prayer for bail of the petitioner is rejected.
However, the State would take steps for substantial
progress in the trial within the next 12 months.
Petitioner would be at liberty to pray for bail after the
aforesaid period is over.
The application for bail, being CRM (M) 345 of 2026,
is, thus, disposed of.
All concerned parties shall act on the server copy of
this order duly downloaded from the official website of this
Court.
Urgent photostat certified copy of this order, if applied
for, be supplied to the parties upon compliance with all
requisite formalities.
(Tirthankar Ghosh, J.)