Two Karnataka Cops Fined Rs 5 Lakh For Arresting Wrong Person In POCSO Case Due To Similar Name

A court in Karnataka has fined two female cops for the wrongful arrest of a person in a POCSO case.

The second Additional Fast-track Special Court (POCSO court) in Mangaluru also said that the five lakh should be deducted from the salaries of the two police officers and awarded as compensation to the petitioner who they wrongly arrested.

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Judge KU Radhakrishna further ordered the State Home Department secretary to take legal action against the erring women police officers.

Arrested for having similar name

The court order came in a complaint filed by one Naveen Sequera, who alleged that he was arrested and kept in judicial custody for a year in a POCSO (Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences) case. 

A POCSO case was filed against one Naveen in Mangaluru Rural police station in connection with the rape of a minor girl in 2021. 

The accused was said to be a friend of the victim’s brother.

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Police error cost one year

After recording the victim’s statement, Sub-Inspector Rosamma PP lodged a case against Naveen under POCSO. The case was handed over to police inspector Revathi. 

During the investigation, ASI Kumar, attached to Mangaluru Rural police station, arrested Naveen Sequera instead of Naveen.

Police inspector Revathi, who conducted the investigation, made a person named Naveen Sequeira an accused and submitted a charge sheet to the court.

The victim girl mentioned the accused, Naveen, in her statement before the magistrate and did not refer to the name as Naveen Sequera.

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How the truth came out

The counsels who argued for the victim brought to the notice of the court that all documents submitted to the court mention the name of the accused as Naveen only. The age has been mentioned as 25 to 26 years. However, the wrongly arrested man was 47 years old.

The counsels argued that the police had detained the wrong person and made him undergo judicial custody for one year, while the real culprit in the case, Naveen, was never arrested.

The court accepted the arguments and held that Sequera was innocent in the case. The judge further ruled that the two officers should pay the penalty for their actions.

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