A Mumbai sessions court has ordered the release of a man accused in a POCSO case, citing serious procedural lapses in his arrest, including failure to communicate the grounds of arrest in a language he could understand.
The accused, Aniruddha Vijaykumar, was produced before the City Civil and Additional Sessions Court in Dindoshi on May 4 in connection with a remand application. The case, registered by Powai Police Station, is being heard by a designated Fast Track Special POCSO ((Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Court.
Defence counsel Kushal Mor argued that police violated provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which require that grounds of arrest be communicated in a language understood by the accused and that family members be informed. He told the court that the accused, a native of Mangaluru, did not understand Marathi, yet the arrest grounds were provided only in that language.
The court agreed, observing that obtaining a signature on a document the accused may not have understood cannot be treated as valid compliance. It also noted lapses in informing the accused’s family.
Referring to Supreme Court rulings in Vihaan Kumar vs State of Haryana and Mihir Rajesh Shah vs State of Maharashtra, the judge ordered his release on a personal bond of Rs 30,000 and issued a show-cause notice to the investigating officer.
The matter is scheduled for further compliance on May 18, 2026.
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