APHC010395702026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3521] TUESDAY, THE 18th DAY OF AUGUST 2026 PRESENT THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 6446/2026 Between: 1. VASAGIRI MANASA, W/O. R. RAMA MURTHY ALIAS RAMA MURTHI,AGED 35 YRS, OCC DY. TAHSILDAR, RAILWAY KODUR,R/O. H.NO. 19-9-27/B/8, RANGANAYAKULAPETA STREET,RAILWAY KODUR, YSR KADAPA DISTRICT. ...PETITIONER/ACCUSED AND 1. THE MOTHER OF VICTIM, THE MOTHER OF VICTIM 2. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, REP BY ITS PUBLIC PROSECUTOR,HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH,ATAMARAVATI. ...RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT(S): Counsel for the Petitioner/accused: 1. D PURNACHANDRA REDDY Counsel for the Respondent/complainant(S): 1. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR 2. 2 Dr.YLR, J Crl.P.No.6446 of 2026 Dated 18.08.2026 The Court made the following: ORDER: The Criminal Petition has been filed under Sections 480 and 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for brevity ‘the BNSS’), seeking to enlarge the Petitioner/Accused No.2 on bail in Crime No.263 of 2026 of East Police Station Tirupati, Tirupati District, registered against the Petitioner/Accused No.2 herein for the offences punishable under Sections 64(2)(f), 64(2)(m) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (for brevity ‘the BNS’) Section 5(I), 5(n) read with 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 (for brevity ‘the POCSO Act’). 2. Heard the learned Counsel for the Petitioner, learned legal Aid Counsel for the Respondent No.1 and the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor. Perused the record. 3. On a perusal of the record, the Petitioner is a female aged about 35 years and is working as a Deputy Tahsildar. She has a milk-sucking baby. She was arrested on 21.05.2026 and has been in judicial custody for the past 89 days. The learned Trial Court has already enlarged Accused Nos.3 and 4 on bail. The Petitioner/Accused No.2 is the wife of Accused No.1, and the victim is the sister’s daughter of the Petitioner/Accused No.2. 4. The allegation against the Petitioner is not that she aided the Accused in the commission of the offence. It is alleged that she failed to report the alleged offence to the police concerned, which constitutes an offence 3 Dr.YLR, J Crl.P.No.6446 of 2026 Dated 18.08.2026 punishable under Section 21 of ‘the POCSO Act’, for which the punishment prescribed is six months. It is further alleged by the prosecution that the Petitioner caused the evidence to disappear, for which the punishment prescribed is three years. 5. Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, the nature and gravity of the allegations levelled against the Petitioner/Accused No.2, this Court is inclined to enlarge the Petitioner/Accused No.2 on bail, subject to the following stringent conditions. i. The Petitioner/Accused No.2 shall be enlarged on bail subject to her executing a bond for a sum of Rs.10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand Only) with two sureties for the like sum each to the satisfaction of the learned II Additional Judicial Magistrate of First Class, Tirupati. ii. The Petitioner/Accused No.2 shall appear before the Station House Officer concerned, on every Saturday in between 10:00 am and 05:00 pm, till filing of the charge sheet. iii. The Petitioner/Accused No.2 shall not leave the limits of the Andhra Pradesh without prior permission from the Station House Officer concerned. iv. The Petitioner/Accused No.2 shall not commit or indulge in commission of any offence in future. v. The Petitioner/Accused No.2 shall cooperate with the Investigating Officer in further investigation of the case and shall make himself available for interrogation by the Investigating Officer as and when required. 4 Dr.YLR, J Crl.P.No.6446 of 2026 Dated 18.08.2026 vi. The Petitioner/Accused No.2 shall not, directly or indirectly, make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him/her from disclosing such facts to the Court. vii. The Petitioner/Accused No.2 shall surrender her passport, if any, to the investigating officer. If her claims that she does not have passport, she shall submit an affidavit to that effect to the Investigating Officer. 6. In the result, the Criminal Petition is allowed. _________________________ DR. Y. LAKSHMANA RAO, J Date:18.08.2026 KMS 5 Dr.YLR, J Crl.P.No.6446 of 2026 Dated 18.08.2026 THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO CRIMINAL PETITIONNo.6446 of 2026 Date:18.08.2026 KMS