Pune Court Acquits Bishop Emeritus Thomas Dabre in POCSO Case

Pune, August 17, 2025 – A Pune Sessions Court has acquitted Bishop Emeritus Thomas Manuel Dabre of the Diocese of Poona in a case filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, citing insufficient evidence to proceed against him.

The case stemmed from a 2018 incident in which police had filed a chargesheet against a school principal and another individual for allegedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old schoolboy. A supplementary chargesheet was later filed against Bishop Dabre, accusing him of failing to disclose the incident to authorities, in violation of Section 21 of the POCSO Act, which pertains to the duty to report cases of child abuse.

In his order on 8 August, Additional Sessions Judge Aniruddha Gandhi observed that there was no direct or supporting evidence proving the Bishop’s involvement in the alleged cover-up. On the contrary, the court noted that there was sufficient material to show Bishop Dabre had informed the police about the incident.

The court’s findings concluded that the charges against the Bishop were baseless, leading to his discharge from the case. His lawyer, Advocate Sandeep Bali, successfully argued that there was no legal ground to proceed, emphasising that Bishop Dabre had acted appropriately in line with his responsibilities.

While the Bishop has now been cleared, the trial continues against the other accused, including the school principal and the second individual charged with sexually assaulting the minor.

The judgement marks a significant legal development, closing a prolonged case that had been pending for several years. Bishop Dabre, who retired as Bishop of Pune in 2021 after decades of service in the Church, is 79 years old.

The court’s ruling underscores the importance of substantiated evidence in sensitive cases under the POCSO Act, particularly those involving allegations of failure to report abuse.

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