A Delhi court has requested a medical opinion on the injuries of a seven-year-old girl, noting that despite her retraction of allegations of severe sexual and physical abuse by her adoptive family, the possibility of external influence cannot be dismissed.
Additional Sessions Judge Gomati Manocha issued the directive on January 27, citing British-American poet W.H. Auden: "There is always another story. There is more than meets the eye." The judge has summoned the doctors who conducted the girl's medical examination following her complaint in February 2023, while considering the bail application of her adoptive brother, who stands accused of assaulting her.
The judge said that though the girl later explained her wounds as accidents, "nature of injuries" did not align with her testimony in the court earlier.
"This court cannot lose sight of the fact that the victim is young girl of tender age of seven years (six-year-old at the time of complaint)," the judge said.
In her complaint, the alleged victim had mentioned about her adoptive mother subjecting her to cruelty, including beatings, cutting her tongue with a knife, causing burn injury on her palm with a burning piece of coal, and hitting her with sticks, wires and charger, hammer, rolling pin (belan), wiper, spoon or anything she could catch hold of.
The woman also strangulated the six-year-old, gave fist blows on her chest, cut injuries on her thighs and private part area with a knife, made her sit on hot gas burner and hot cooking utensil, bit her with her teeth, and stripped her naked and forced her to stay in the balcony in the night in cold winter, it said.
The complaint also mentioned about the present accused beating up the girl after tying her hands and hanging her from a ceiling fan, and he also kissed her once or twice. Similar allegations were earlier made by the victim in her statement before a court, the judge noted.
The judge also noted that the medical report mentioned several grave injuries that matched the girl's initial allegations.
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The judge further observed that although the girl had been returned to her biological parents, their failure to report the crime—an offense under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses) Act—and their connection to her adoptive family raised concerns. "The possibility of the victim being tutored, influenced, intimidated, or coerced cannot be ruled out," the judge stated.
Before considering the bail application, the judge emphasised the need for a medical expert’s opinion on the nature and possible causes of the victim’s injuries.
Summoning the doctors who documented the girl's medical report following her complaint on February 10, 2025, the judge also noted a peculiar aspect of the proceedings.
Although the girl did not oppose her adoptive brother’s bail plea, when asked whether he should be granted bail, she responded swiftly and at length, without pauses—"as if she was speaking from rote memory and had been tutored."
"From her demeanor, it appears that she is under someone's influence," the judge remarked.
The defence counsel had sought the bail on the ground that the alleged victim in the case has already been examined and she had not supported the prosecution case.
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The defence counsel told the judge that the accused was on interim bail for one year to take care of his ailing father, a co-accused in the case, and he did not misuse the relief during the period.
The judge, however, said that the interim bail was allowed on "humanitarian grounds and not on merits of the case" to take care of his ailing father.
The application further told the court that the girl's adoptive mother, also a co-accused in the case, has already been granted bail by the Delhi High Court.
The prosecution opposed the bail application, arguing that although the girl did not fully support their case, she appeared to be under the influence of the accused.
According to the prosecution, the complaint was filed after the girl’s school teachers noticed her injuries and alerted a child protection officer in February 2023. The victim had also informed the officer that her adoptive mother had beaten and threatened her.
Previously, the court had denied bail to the applicant, emphasising the severity of the case.
"The nature of injuries sustained by the victim due to the cruel treatment inflicted upon her is grievous. She is only seven years old. The offenses were committed in a diabolical manner by her adoptive family members... Given that the accused are from her own family, there is a strong likelihood that, if released on bail, he will attempt to influence the young victim to manipulate her testimony in his favor, thereby prejudicing the trial," the court had observed.
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