Courts have held varying views while judging cases of consensual adolescent relationships. POCSO Act criminalising ‘normal behaviour’ in many cases, say stakeholders.
The incident had occurred on 21 April & the complaint was filed by the survivor on 24 April. The 13-year-old accused has been sent to a juvenile correctional facility.
SC was hearing a suo motu cognizance matter over a controversial Allahabad HC order in a POCSO case. It also took note of a judge's remark that complainant 'herself invited trouble'.
Hearing a POCSO case, the bench of Justice Sharma held that courts need to amplify voices of minor victims, even if parents choose to settle disputes or decide to not stand by them.
The HC order had come on a petition filed by the accused, challenging the summons issued to them by the Special Judge of the POCSO court in UP's Kasganj to face trial in a rape case.
His suspension comes 'after protests' by minor’s family, other parents' of children in the same school. Despite an FIR, he has faced no legal action so far due to diplomatic immunity.
The minor, who was 15 at the time, passed away in July 2022. The undertrial, who has served five and a half yrs in prison so far, moved SC after Bombay HC rejected his bail plea.
The 25-yr-old from UP, who is from banjara community, was also accused of using fake ID cards, but an MP court has cleared him of all charges. Family says won't set foot in MP again.
In early hours of Friday, local police and NGO volunteers rescued 12 girls in Bihar’s Siwan. The minors had been working as dancers for orchestras, paid Rs 2,000 for a gig.
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