Rajasthan High Court Asks Man Accused of Child S*xual Harassment and Online Stalking To Not Use Social Media

The Rajasthan High Court has granted bail to a 20-year-old man accused of online stalking and child s*xual harassment, imposing a strict one-year ban on his use of all social media platforms. Justice Ashok Kumar Jain issued the directive while ordering the release of the accused, who had been in custody since February 24. The single-judge bench emphasised that any violation of the digital restriction, including operating under an assumed identity, would lead to an immediate revocation of his bail.

Strict Social Media Restrictions Imposed

To safeguard the minor victim, the court established stringent boundaries regarding the applicant’s digital footprints. The bench made it explicitly clear that the ban encompasses all primary social networking and messaging application ecosystems. ‘Consensual Teenage Relationships Not a Crime’: Rajasthan High Court Warns Against Misuse of POCSO Act, Says Indiscriminate Use Is Destroying Young Lives.

"The petitioner is restrained from using all kind of social media platform like Instagram, Facebook, Snap Chat, Thread, Share Chat etc. for a period of one year and in case it is found that he is using any of the social media platform during said period of one year either in his name or in any fictitious name using his mobile/E-mail ID or a fictitious E-mail ID then the bail order shall be recalled," the Bench stated in its order.

Beyond the generalised social media embargo, the High Court barred the accused from making any form of contact with the complainant's family. "The petitioner shall not contact directly or indirectly with victim or family of victim and he will not forward or send any message on any of the communication medium may it Instagram or Facebook messenger or Snap Chat, Whatsapp etc," the Court ordered.

Legal Charges and Defense Arguments

The case originated from a criminal complaint registered by the father of the minor girl. Following the complaint, the Bikaner police arrested the 20-year-old under multiple provisions of the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from S*xual Offences (POCSO) Act. The formal charges against him include Section 78(2) for online stalking, Section 79 for actions intended to insult the modesty of a woman under the BNS, and relevant components of Sections 11 and 12 of the POCSO Act.

During the bail hearing, the counsel representing the petitioner argued that his client had been falsely implicated in the matter. The defense contended that the prosecution's case rested entirely on oral statements, asserting that no substantive evidentiary material or digital forensics had been submitted to validate the allegations of s*xual harassment and stalking. 'Pension Is a Right, Not a Bounty': Rajasthan High Court Recognises ‘Nata Vivah’, Orders 24 Years of Family Pension Arrears.

Grounds for Granting Bail by the Rajasthan High Court

After evaluating the case files and the nature of the accusations, Justice Jain noted that the petitioner had already spent a significant period in judicial custody awaiting trial. The court observed that because the trial process was expected to take considerable time to reach a final conclusion, prolonged detention at this stage was unwarranted. While the bench deemed it fit to enlarge the accused on bail, it heavily customised the release conditions to ensure comprehensive protection for the victim.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 26, 2026 05:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).