Pune police arrest father Vincent Pereira in minor’s sexual abuse case
The arrest by Kondhwa police came after a local court on November 29 cancelled the pre-arrest bail for father Pereira
The Pune police on Thursday arrested father Vincent Pereira for allegedly sexually abusing a minor boy on December 4, 2021, a case regarding this was lodged at Kondhwa police station on September 30.
The arrest by Kondhwa police came after a local court on November 29 cancelled the pre-arrest bail for father Pereira. Besides the FIR at Kondhwa police station, there has been yet another case lodged in the same regard at Bund Garden police station.
“We have arrested father Pereira and he has been remanded to Judicial custody,” said a senior officer from Kondhwa police station.
Father Pereira, according to the police, allegedly sexually abused the boy at his home on December 4, 2021 while two other prominent priests allegedly did not act against the main suspect even after complaints from survivor’s family members. The court had earlier granted interim anticipatory bail to father Pereira, although prosecution had challenged it.
Additional Sessions Judge SP Ponkshe in her latest order stated, “Thus, prima facie it appears that there are specific allegations against the applicant regarding commission of aggravated sexual assault on the victim boy in view of added section 10 of the POCSO Act. In view of the nature of allegations and throughout conduct of the applicant disclosed from the police papers, it appears that his custodial investigation is necessary. Therefore, it is not just and proper to grant pre-arrest bail to the applicant. With this, I proceed to pass the following order.”
The prosecution in its say had opposed the interim protection from arrest granted to father Pereira contending that there are specific allegations of sexual assault against the present applicant and earlier too, there was one similar crime registered against him. His custodial investigation is necessary.
Advocate Milind Pawar, appearing for father Pereira said, “Earlier my client was granted interim bail and the court had kept the matter for next date. The court has passed the order and are examining it.”
The FIR registered on the basis of formal complaint by social activist Maruti Bhapkar initially at Hadapsar police station was later transferred to Kondhwa police for further investigation. The Hadapsar police registered the case as Bhapkar and another activist Dominic Lobo had approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as their complaint was allegedly ignored by cops.