Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Apr 21: The designated special court for cases under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases here, on Saturday April 20, refused to grant bail to journalist, Chandra K Hemmady (40), who has been accused of sexually exploiting boys. Chandra faces a total of 21 POCSO cases for similar offences.

Hemmady had sought bail in the first among the 21 cases he faces, which was registered in Byndoor police station. He had filed the bail petition on March 27, and the district special public prosecutor, Vijaya Vasu Poojary, had filed objections to it on April 9. During the arguments and counter arguments on April 10, Vijaya Vasu Poojary mentioned that this is a unique case in which 21 POCSO cases have been filed against a single individual in the entire country. He had pleaded with the presiding officer of the court to reject the bail application, taking into account its gravity.

Judge of the special court, Chandrashekhar M Joshi, who heard arguments placed from both the sides, rejected the bail application.

The police had arrested Chandra K Hemmady, who used to take small boys, usually students of schools, into forest areas in the guise of seeking directions to villages, and use them to satiate his desire for sex, on November 28 last year. After the first case was registered, families of different boys, who had dithered from filing complaints on account of fear of facing ridicule and shame, came up with complaints of similar nature. Chandra faces 16 cases filed in Byndoor station, three in Gangolli, and one each in Kundapur rural and Kollur police stations.