Segu Ismile Mohamad Manzoor v. Officer in Charge Police Station Poonawa – CA BAIL 62/2022-2022

In the case between the suspect (petitioner, alleged to be involved in rape and abduction of a 15-year-old girl) and the Officer in Charge, Police Station Poonawa, along with the Hon. Attorney General and other relevant parties (respondents), the court addressed the issue of entitlement to bail for an accused charged with serious offences under the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act No. 4 of 2015. It was held that bail may only be granted if “exceptional circumstances” are established. The decision reaffirmed the principle that exceptional circumstances must be determined on a case-by-case basis, considering the nature and seriousness of the offence and the protection of victims and witnesses. Reliance was placed upon section 10(1)(a) of the Act, underscorin