PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa has quashed the order of the Special Court constituted under the POCSO Act, which had dismissed the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit’s claim that a businessman was a victim of a honey trap by directing rape charges against him. The Bench has now directed the trial court to reconsider the B-summary report filed by the investigation agency, allowing the accused -- now considered a victim -- to file a counter-complaint against the original complainant.
The case involves Anant Tanna, who was initially charged with raping a Kutch-based model during their trip to Goa in 2022.
A chargesheet was also filed against him but another similar complaint led the police to a different angle. The accused later alleged that he was honey-trapped. Last year, the Special Court also accepted the police application to re-investigate the case after the development and evidence indicating Tanna may be a victim of honey trap and sextortion racket.
The investigation team had pleaded to ‘ignore’ the already filed chargesheet and submitted a supplementary chargesheet with the new revelation. However, during the hearing on February 15, the POCSO Court rejected the B-summary report citing it as a fit case for framing charges of rape against him.
Tanna then appealed before the High Court for quashing the order, which was granted after hearings. Speaking to reporters, Tanna’s legal representative Advocate Vibhav Amonkar, stated that the B-summary would need to be reconsidered by the Court.
“The Sessions Court had ignored the supplementary chargesheet which confirmed Tanna was a victim and ordered framing of the charge. The HC has quashed the order and asked the trial court to reconsider the B-summary report wherein Tanna will file counter-complaint,” he said.
