NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Justice C V Bhadang of the High Court of Bombay at Goa has granted conditional bail to the jailed convict Goan model Siddesh Juvekar.
Suspending the jail sentence, pending the hearing of his appeal, the High Court has directed that Siddesh Juvekar be released on furnishing a bail bond and one or two sureties of Rs 50,000.
Juvekar, who has been lodged at the Colvale Central Jail, has also been directed to deposit Rs 7 lakh within two weeks and to pay the total fine of Rs 15,000 forthwith. Juvekar has been further directed to deposit his passport and not to directly or indirectly contact the victim girl or the witnesses.
South Goa Additional Sessions Judge, on September 8, had sentenced Juvekar to seven years imprisonment for having raped a girl from Navelim on the false promise of marrying her. Juvekar was also charged of cheating the victim to the tune of over Rs 5 lakh which he had allegedly taken from her on the false pretext of starting a business.
The High Court passed the order after hearing senior advocate Surendra Desai, representing the convict, additional public prosecutor Pravin Faldesai for the state and advocate Aires Rodrigues representing the victim girl.
The High Court judge observed that the complainant/victim has stated in her evidence that she had no intention to marry the accused when the complaint was filed and she does not intend to marry the accused “even now.” The applicant was on bail during the course of trial.