The Delhi High Court has ruled that a woman can be charged with gang rape under Section 376D of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 70 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), stating there is no basis to restrict the term 'persons' in the law to only men.
Bashir Usman Shaikh, the founder and principal of Adarsh International School in Latur, who was absconding after being accused of sexually harassing minor girl students, has been arrested by police. He was booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the stringent POCSO Act on October 4.
A special POCSO court in Muzaffarnagar has sentenced a man and a woman to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 20,000 each for the 2019 rape of a 14-year-old girl. The convicts, Vikas and Lalita, were found guilty under various IPC sections and the POCSO Act.
A special POCSO court in Jamnagar, Gujarat, has sentenced a man to death under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for the brutal murder and torture of his seven-year-old niece in 2025. The accused also received life imprisonment under the POCSO Act for sexually assaulting the minor, in what was deemed a 'rarest of rare' case.
Nagaland is seeking to implement the Juvenile Justice Act and Adoption Regulations in a way that respects the state's customary laws and traditional systems of care, while remaining legally sound.
A preacher at a madrasa in Tumakuru district, Karnataka, has been booked after 24 children allegedly escaped the institution citing physical abuse and forced labour. The children were found at a railway station in Bengaluru and are now under the care of the Child Welfare Committee.
A court in Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh, has ordered police to register a murder case against four individuals and investigate the deaths of a newly married couple whose decomposed bodies were discovered nearly three months ago. The order came after an application from the deceased man's father, citing alleged threats received by the couple before their deaths.
A 19-year-old woman in Nanded, Maharashtra, was seriously injured after being stabbed multiple times by a 21-year-old man for rejecting his advances. The accused, Rohit Pohare, had allegedly been pursuing her for two years. He has been arrested and charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Arms Act, and POCSO Act. The victim is reported to be stable.
Marriage alone does not make a spouse liable for debt. The extent of liability depends on whether the spouse signed as a co-borrower or guarantor, or inherited assets.
A Special POCSO Court in Amroha has sentenced a man named Bunty to life imprisonment for raping a minor girl. The verdict was delivered within eight months of the trial, and a fine of Rs 50,000 was also imposed, with 90% directed to the victim.
Police in Mananthala have arrested three individuals, including a minor, in connection with the alleged sexual assault of an underage girl. The incident came to light after the girl disclosed it during a counselling session, leading her parents to file a complaint. A case has been registered under the POCSO Act.
Thane Police's Crime Branch has arrested Dinesh Babu Manjrekar, a key accused in a series of robberies targeting elderly citizens through distraction and impersonation. Police recovered 212 grams of gold jewellery and are searching for his accomplices. Manjrekar has a history of 29 previous cases across various cities.
'I didn't know whether I simply loved acting, whether I was good at it or whether I wanted to pursue it professionally. So, about 10 years ago, I started auditioning just to see how far I could go.'
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met with students injured during recent protests and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to obstruct their voice. Gandhi assured the students of Congress's support and warned that action would be taken against all officials, from the Prime Minister to police constables, who acted against them. He emphasised the unity of the protesting students, transcending religion and caste.
A Delhi court has framed charges against a bus driver and conductor for the alleged kidnapping and gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl inside a sleeper bus in August. The accused face charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and POCSO Act, with the trial set to begin with the victim's evidence on October 24.
A woman, her son, and daughter were arrested in Odisha's Kendrapara district for allegedly murdering the husband, who was an alcoholic and frequently assaulted his family. The trio reportedly strangled him to death after he attacked his wife on Wednesday night.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and others regarding a plea challenging the validity of 'Talaq-e-Hasan' and other forms of unilateral divorce under Muslim personal law. The petition also seeks uniform procedural safeguards, economic protection for divorced women, and questions the constitutionality of Section 2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, as well as the lack of safeguards against polygamy.
A 49-year-old physical education teacher, Shashidhar, accused of sexually assaulting children, died after jumping from the third floor of the Bengaluru South district Superintendent of Police's office complex in Ramanagara. He was arrested under the POCSO Act, and the incident, captured on CCTV, occurred while he was being escorted for judicial custody procedures.
In a shocking incident from Gujarat's Surendranagar, a woman was forced by her husband and others to undergo a 'punishment-cum-purification ritual' involving sexual assault by her live-in partner. Police revealed the husband had previously chained her to prevent her from fleeing. Ten people, including the husband and the woman's stepson who uploaded a video of the incident, have been arrested. The accused claimed this was a 'common practice' in their community for eloping women.
A special court in Jalna, Maharashtra, has sentenced Faizan Ahmed Abbas Husain to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. The court also ordered the Maharashtra government to provide Rs 50,000 compensation to the victim.
A POCSO court in Bhubaneswar has sentenced Dillip Bhoi to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping an eight-year-old girl near her school last year. The court also imposed a fine and ordered compensation for the victim.
The Delhi High Court has ruled that criminal cases involving sexual offences against children, particularly under the POCSO Act, cannot be settled by the survivor or their family. Justice Sachin Datta emphasised that such heinous offences have a serious societal impact and quashing proceedings based on a compromise would undermine the statute's objectives and justice.
National Commission for Women chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar urged protection officers to prioritise "first response" in domestic violence cases, emphasising sensitive handling and immediate intervention to prevent tragedies. She highlighted that the success of protection officers lies in timely protection for women, not just file processing. Rahatkar stressed the importance of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, and called for a comprehensive "One Woman, One Support System" approach involving various services, continuous training, and prevention through awareness and empowerment.
A Parliamentary panel has recommended that district administrations withhold permission for rallies and public gatherings on competitive examination days to prevent disturbances for candidates. The panel also suggested allowing latecomers to enter exam halls with an undertaking and dedicating a 15-minute window for formalities outside the exam duration.
The Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch has filed a chargesheet against 15 individuals in the Kishtwar minor's rape and death case. The chargesheet alleges a criminal conspiracy to conceal the sexual assault, intimidate the victim's family, and illegally terminate her advanced pregnancy. The 15-year-old tribal girl died on August 20 following an alleged abortion attempt after being repeatedly sexually assaulted by a teacher, resulting in pregnancy. Accused include the main perpetrator, health workers, and community elders involved in the cover-up and pressure tactics.
The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to explore a statutory framework to ensure social media intermediaries comply with Indian laws regarding minors, particularly concerning their inability to independently enter into contracts. The court highlighted the need for safeguards to protect children from potential harms on digital platforms, including exploitation and misuse of data, and asked the Solicitor General to examine incorporating these requirements into intermediary rules.
A man was arrested in Goa for allegedly indecently exposing himself to two young children at a store in Margao. The incident occurred at a popular store in South Goa, and the accused was later apprehended in Ponda town.
The Supreme Court has granted the Centre a final opportunity to present measures taken to prevent the circulation of child sexual exploitation and abuse material on social media platforms, following a petition highlighting inconsistent compliance by intermediaries.
Three drivers of Gem Granite founder R Veeramani have been arrested in Chennai for their alleged involvement in the sexual harassment of minors. The arrests are part of an ongoing investigation into five cases against Veeramani, who was previously arrested along with accomplices after a pendrive allegedly containing video evidence triggered the probe.
Police in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, have booked a man from Himachal Pradesh for allegedly kidnapping and raping a 17-year-old girl. The girl went missing on September 16 after going to school and returned on September 24, subsequently revealing the ordeal to her mother. The accused reportedly threatened her, and an investigation is underway.
A man accused of raping a six-year-old girl was arrested in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, following an exchange of fire with police. The accused, Avdhram alias Bhole Shankar, sustained a gunshot injury and was apprehended. Police recovered a country-made pistol and cartridges, and a reward was announced for the arresting team.
'The Rs 35,000 crore of capex every year, I don't get to sign 35 paise out of this.'
A court in Maharashtra's Palghar district has sentenced a 55-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting his seven-year-old daughter. The crime came to light in November 2020 after neighbours alerted an NGO. The court noted the man exploited his position of trust, making the child believe his actions were right.
A computer teacher from a government residential school in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district has been arrested in Rajasthan for allegedly sexually harassing a 14-year-old girl. The arrest followed a complaint lodged by the victim and her mother, leading to a special investigation team being formed.
Police in Uttarakhand's Tehri district have registered a case against an assistant professor for alleged molestation of two female students, including a minor, following an internal inquiry at a government college. The case has been filed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and POCSO Act, with authorities initiating a thorough investigation.
The Bill proposes replacing employment-based Green Card preferences with a points-based immigration framework.
A man in Latur was arrested for allegedly raping and impregnating a 17-year-old girl. He reportedly convinced her that she had a 'dosh' (affliction) in her horoscope and committed the crime under the guise of performing corrective rituals. The accused was booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, POCSO Act, and the state's Anti-Superstition Act.
A 45-year-old man has been arrested in Barwani, Madhya Pradesh, for allegedly sexually abusing his three minor daughters, aged 11-14, over the past year. The girls, accompanied by relatives, filed a complaint under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and POCSO Act. Police investigation is ongoing.
The Supreme Court has acquitted a man previously convicted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl with intellectual disability. The apex court cited "woefully short" evidence, including the mother's "unnatural conduct," delayed FIR, and the victim's failure to identify the accused, as reasons for overturning the conviction and setting aside judgments from the Meghalaya High Court and a trial court.
Navi Pillay, a South African jurist of Indian origin, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law. The announcement came as she was in Nuremberg, a symbolic location given her career's focus on international justice. Pillay dedicated the prize to survivors and those working for justice, warning against political attacks on international law and institutions like the ICC. Her extensive career includes roles in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the International Criminal Court, and as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
