Karnataka High Court grants conditional bail to French diplomat Pascal Mazurier

BANGALORE: Karnataka High Court today granted conditional bail to French diplomat Pascal Mazurier, arrested for allegedly raping his minor daughter, observing that circumstantial evidence did not "specify" that he had committed the offence.

Allowing Mazurier's bail plea, Justice HN Nagamohan Das said there was a delay in lodging the complaint and sought to know the reason for it as, though the incident was reported to have taken place on June 13, 2012, it was filed by Pascal's wife Suja Jones only the next day.

The court said there were no eyewitnesses to the incident.

Mazurier was granted bail on the condition that he furnish a personal bond of Rs one lakh with two local solvent sureties for the like sum.

The court also asked him to surrender his passport with the jurisdictional magistrate, not to leave the jurisdiction of the court without prior permission and in no manner tamper with the prosecution witnesses.

Mazurier, Consular Attache to the Consulate General of France here, was arrested on June 19 following a complaint by his wife, a native of Kerala, alleging that he had raped their three-and-a-half year old daughter.

A Fast Track Court had earlier rejected the bail plea of Mazurier, who was charge sheeted on September 17 under Section 376 of IPC for allegedly raping his minor daughter.