HC rejects Naini milk federation chief’s bail in rape case

Dehradun: The single bench of Justice Ravindra Maithani of Uttarakhand high court (HC) dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of the chairman of Nainital Dugdh Utpadak Sahakari Sangh Ltd (NDUSSL), Mukesh Bora, who is accused of raping a woman and molesting her minor daughter, on Saturday. The court had previously rejected a petition seeking a stay on his arrest, asserting that granting interim relief to an accused in such egregious offences could impede the investigation and potentially lead to the tampering of evidence.
During the proceedings, the woman's counsel vehemently opposed the bail, while the defence counsel maintained that Bora was being implicated in a plot designed to sully his reputation.
On Sep 13, the HC single bench had temporarily stayed the arrest until Sept 17, directing that Bora cooperates with the ongoing investigation and reports to the Almora police station on a daily basis. However, on Sept 17, the court denied the interim bail application and instructed the govt to submit a comprehensive response, adjourning the next hearing to Dec 17. In response, Bora filed a petition seeking anticipatory bail.
The woman had alleged that Bora had raped her in a hotel in Haldwani, having lured her there under the false pretext of securing her a permanent position in the milk union. During the course of investigation, she further accused Bora of molesting her minor daughter, prompting the police to add sections of the Pocso Act in the case.