Bombay HC grants anticipatory bail to three women in Dindoshi POCSO case

The Bombay High Court has granted anticipatory bail to three women in a case registered at Dindoshi police station under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other laws. The court said the allegations of sexual assault are mainly against the main accused and that, with the chargesheet filed, custodial interrogation of these applicants is not needed.

Justice Prafulla S Khubalkar passed the order on October 23, 2026. The women's application related to the case registered at Dindoshi police station on November 9, 2025.

According to the prosecution case recorded in the order, the FIR stems from a dispute between the parties over possession of a room. The complainant alleges that a quarrel took place on April 5, 2025. During it, the main accused allegedly abused her and her daughter and made obscene gestures. The complaint also alleges that the accused sexually assaulted the daughter and assaulted the complainant as well. The three applicants are accused numbers 2, 3 and 4. They are alleged to have abused the complainant and to have incited the main accused.

Advocates Mahesh Rajpopat, Akshit Kothari and Zaina Shah appeared for the applicants. They argued that the women were implicated mainly because they were allegedly present at the spot, and that they had done nothing specific in connection with these offences.

The defence also pointed out that the High Court had already granted bail to the main accused on August 7, 2026. The applicants argued that the FIR was registered with a delay of about seven months and that there is no documentary evidence to support the allegation about the daughter's disability. According to the submissions recorded in the order, the charge under Section 92(b) of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 was dropped when the chargesheet was filed.

The prosecution opposed bail. It said the FIR contains allegations suggesting that the applicants incited the main accused, who is charged with committing offences under POCSO.

After examining the FIR and the documents on record, the court observed that the allegations of POCSO offences are mainly against accused number 1. It also recorded that the matter arose against the background of a civil dispute over possession of a room.

The court directed that if the women are arrested in this case, each be released on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 with one solvent surety of the same amount. They have also been directed to cooperate in the investigation and trial, and must appear at the police station whenever the investigating agency summons them.

Advocates Mahesh Rajpopat, Akshit Kothari and Zaina Shah, appearing for the applicants, said: "We are grateful to the Bombay High Court for granting our clients anticipatory bail after considering the facts and circumstances of the case. The court recorded the seven-month delay in filing the FIR, the lack of evidence proving the victim's disability, the filing of the chargesheet, the absence of any need for custodial interrogation at this stage, and the applicants' cooperation with the investigating agency."