Bengaluru police have arrested four individuals for allegedly forcing minor children into begging. The operation led to the rescue of 13 children, who were found begging at traffic signals across the city. The accused admitted to their involvement, and the children have been handed over to the Child Welfare Committee.
The Supreme Court has declared that children have a fundamental right to access and use the internet, directing the Centre to establish a national database for detecting and removing child sexually explicit visual content. The ruling, stemming from a plea by NGO Just Rights for Children Alliance, emphasises the internet's value for learning and expression while acknowledging the need for safeguards like parental consent and a "child mode" for accounts, rather than blanket restrictions.
A 38-year-old man from West Bengal was arrested in Gurugram for allegedly committing an obscene act against his 17-year-old stepdaughter. He was traced to Malda district after fleeing following the registration of an FIR under the POCSO Act.
Police in Siddipet district have arrested four men and apprehended three minors in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl over several months. The arrests followed a complaint lodged by the girl's mother, leading to charges under the POCSO Act.
A Delhi court has acquitted a man accused of beating his daughter, insulting her modesty, and subjecting her to suffering. The acquittal came after the daughter denied the alleged assault during trial, stating her previous statement was made under pressure, and other witnesses failed to provide reliable evidence to support the prosecution's case.
Assam's Juvenile Justice Board has ruled that a 17-year-old boy, accused in the alleged rape and murder of a girl in Hailakandi district, will be tried as an adult. The decision was based on the heinous nature of the crime, psychological assessments, and other reports. The incident, which occurred on August 1, led to widespread protests and a chargesheet was filed against five accused, including the juvenile.
A special court in Latur, Maharashtra, has sentenced Chumbalya alias Ritesh Rajnand Kasbe to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl last year. The verdict was delivered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and POCSO Act, with the court also imposing a Rs 5,000 fine.
Nanded police in Maharashtra have filed a chargesheet within 24 hours in a molestation case involving a minor girl. A 20-year-old man was arrested for allegedly stalking, obstructing, and making inappropriate comments to the girl on Wednesday. The case was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and POCSO Act.
A 22-year-old man, Faiyaz Ali, was arrested in Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly creating fake Instagram accounts to circulate child sexual abuse material and explicit chats. The arrest followed a tip-off from the Union home ministry's Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), which flagged an Instagram account with objectionable content. Police traced the account to Ali and apprehended him while he was attempting to flee.
A special court in Muzaffarnagar has sentenced a man named Bittu to life imprisonment for raping a six-year-old girl in 2024. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 60,000, which will be given to the survivor. The incident occurred on November 10, 2024, when the girl was abducted and raped at her home, leading to Bittu's conviction under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and POCSO Act.
A 17-year-old girl was allegedly dragged out of a garba pandal and assaulted in Palghar, Maharashtra, leading to the arrest of an 18-year-old accused.
A Zilla Parishad school teacher in Georai tehsil, Beed, was booked under the POCSO Act on Thursday for allegedly sexually harassing four girl students between October 12 and October 14. The incidents came to light when parents were informed, leading to the teacher's arrest.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report detailing the alleged sexual abuse of two young girls by their father in Latur, Maharashtra. The NCW has urged the Maharashtra DGP for a time-bound investigation, strict action under POCSO and BNS, and protection for the victims and their mother.
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that survivors of sexual assault under the POCSO Act cannot be denied compensation solely because their medical report does not record physical injuries. The court directed authorities to pay Rs 3 lakh to a minor under the Uttar Pradesh Rani Lakshmi Bai Mahila Samman Kosh scheme, emphasising that absence of injury marks does not negate sexual assault allegations and that the scheme's provisions must be interpreted liberally.
A four-year-old boy was allegedly sexually abused by a 14-year-old neighbour in Pehowa, Haryana. The incident came to light when the child narrated it to his mother. The accused teenager has been booked under the POCSO Act, and the victim is undergoing treatment at LNJP Hospital.
A Latur court sentenced Kiran Ashok Kushbhage to 20 years in jail and fined him Rs 5,000 for sexually assaulting a minor girl in 2023. The case was registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
A madrasa teacher, Sayid Mohammed Naufal, was arrested in Kochi for allegedly sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl on a ship travelling from Lakshadweep. The incident occurred during the voyage, and the accused was detained by ship security after the girl informed her mother. Police registered a case under the POCSO Act, and Naufal was remanded to judicial custody.
A man has been arrested in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, for allegedly raping a three-year-old girl. The accused, Pramanand Dhruv, was known to the victim's family and was apprehended after the girl's father filed a complaint. He faces charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the POCSO Act.
Police in Latur, Maharashtra, arrested a man on Saturday for allegedly sexually assaulting his two minor daughters, aged four-and-a-half and three years. The complaint was filed by the victims' mother, leading to a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and POCSO Act.
A cook at a government ashram school in Thane district, Ganpat Gavli, arrested for allegedly molesting 22 minor female students, was a habitual offender who had previously been jailed under the POCSO Act and reinstated, an official revealed.
A POCSO court in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, has sentenced a man named Garibe to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 30,000 for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy in April 2024. The conviction followed a swift investigation and chargesheet filing.
A special POCSO court in Kairana, Uttar Pradesh, has sentenced Kapil Sharma to 20 years in prison and imposed a Rs 60,000 fine for raping a minor girl in February 2021.
A self-proclaimed healer has been arrested in Kanker, Chhattisgarh, for allegedly raping and impregnating a 14-year-old tribal girl. The incident came to light when the girl, an inmate of a tribal girls' hostel, was found to be five months pregnant during a medical examination. The accused, Ramesh Kumar Pisda, allegedly exploited the girl under the pretext of curing her ailment, administering intoxicating substances to facilitate the abuse.
A medical store owner in Surat was arrested for allegedly repackaging veterinary liver tonic and selling it as paediatric medicine at double the price, raising serious public health concerns. Police raided his store, seized materials, and registered an FIR.
Police in Thrissur have registered a case under the POCSO Act against a female social media influencer and motivational speaker for allegedly sexually harassing an 11-year-old boy. A detailed investigation is underway, and the minor's statement has been recorded.
Two individuals were arrested and a minor detained on Monday after allegedly brandishing swords and causing panic at a garba event in Kalyan, Thane district. The incident involved eight persons, with two carrying swords into the Navratri celebration area. Police have charged the accused under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Maharashtra Police Act, and a probe is ongoing to determine their motive.
Police in Latur, Maharashtra, have arrested one of four accused involved in assaulting and stripping a minor boy four months ago. The incident came to light after a video surfaced on social media on Sunday. A case has been registered under various charges, including the POCSO Act, and a search is on for the remaining suspects.
Surat Police have arrested a medical shop owner for allegedly repackaging veterinary feed supplement as paediatric medicine and selling it at a higher price. The accused transferred Himalaya Liv.52 Protec Liquid Veterinary Feed Supplement into smaller bottles and affixed counterfeit labels of Himalaya Liv.52 Drops, a product for children.
An Odisha-native woman has been taken into custody in Kochi for allegedly murdering her husband, Ajeeta Naik, and dumping his body near a railway track. The woman claims she attacked Naik after he allegedly attempted to sexually harass her 16-year-old daughter. Police are investigating the incident, including potential charges under the POCSO Act.
Cathy Li, Head of the Centre for AI Excellence at the World Economic Forum, advocates for integrating AI literacy into India's education curriculum and incentivising AI companies to prioritise child safety. She stresses the need for localised solutions that account for India's linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as varying levels of connectivity and digital literacy, to ensure AI systems are safe and beneficial for children.
Archana Veeramani, daughter of jailed granite baron R Veeramani, was deboarded from a Singapore-bound flight at Chennai airport on Friday. This action follows an alert from the SIT investigating POCSO cases against her father, who faces multiple charges and is also linked to a 2004 suicide. Authorities suspect Archana holds crucial information regarding financial transactions aimed at covering up the abuse allegations.
President Donald Trump has advocated for stricter electoral laws in the US, praising India's election system and its requirement for photo identification. He highlighted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's questioning of the lack of voter ID in American polls and used India's high voter turnout with minimal postal ballots as an example. Trump is pushing for the SAVE America Act, which would mandate proof of citizenship and nationwide voter ID, though the bill faces division in Congress.
A fast-track court in Nashik, Maharashtra, has sentenced Vijay Sanjay Khairnar to death for the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl. The court described the crime as "rarest of the rare," stating that leniency would undermine public confidence in justice. The judge highlighted the extreme depravity of the act, committed on November 16, 2025, and ruled out life imprisonment, also directing Rs 10 lakh compensation to the victim's parents.
Two men, Vishnu (36) and Vijayan (58), were arrested in Perumbavoor, Kochi, for allegedly abducting and sexually assaulting a minor girl. Vishnu, a bus conductor, reportedly befriended the girl and took her to Mamalakandam, where Vijayan allegedly confined her at his house, leading to the assault. Police registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and remanded the accused in judicial custody.
Police in Ludhiana have booked a 35-year-old man, Sanjay Kumar, for allegedly sexually assaulting an 11-month-old girl. The incident was reported on Saturday, and the accused is currently absconding. A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and POCSO Act.
A man has been arrested in Bengaluru for allegedly sexually assaulting his eight-year-old hearing-impaired daughter. The incident came to light after the girl complained of stomach pain, leading to a medical examination and police investigation under the POCSO Act.
A 34-year-old man, Manish Yadav, was shot dead by two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants in northeast Delhi's Sonia Vihar area on Tuesday night. Police have registered a case and deployed multiple teams to apprehend the suspects, with arrests expected soon.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by a woman IPS officer has been formed in Latur, Maharashtra, to probe the alleged sexual assault of minor schoolgirls by Bashir Usman Shaikh, founder of Adarsh International School. Shaikh was arrested earlier this week under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and POCSO Act. The SIT is investigating further potential victims and urging students to report abuse without fear.
Police in Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh, have arrested six individuals after uncovering two acres of illegal ganja cultivation hidden within a maize field. The bust, part of 'Operation Trishul', involved the use of drones and revealed a sophisticated drip irrigation system. Investigators believe the operation, which could have yielded crores of rupees, had links to trafficking in major Indian cities.
A fast-track court in Nashik, Maharashtra, has sentenced Vijay Sanjay Khairnar to death for the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl late last year. The court termed the gruesome crime "rarest of the rare" and also ordered Rs 10 lakh financial assistance for the victim's family. The prosecution, led by Ujwal Nikam, relied on circumstantial evidence and witness testimonies to secure the conviction.
