A special court in Thane has acquitted a 56-year-old man accused in a child sexual assault case, citing significant failures by the prosecution, including the inability to establish the suspect's identity and lack of photographic evidence. The court also noted the victim's denial of the assault in court.
An 85-year-old man has been arrested in Thane's Dombivali township for allegedly sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl. The incident occurred when the girl was playing outside her home, and the accused lured her into his house. Police have registered a case under the BNS and 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 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.
Police in Arunachal Pradesh have arrested three individuals in connection with two separate cases of sexual assault against minors in Tawang and East Kameng districts.
A Palghar court has sentenced Madhu Dharma Govari to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a minor boy. The court rejected the defence's claim of improbability in a crowded locality, emphasizing that "bystander apathy" does not undermine a victim's testimony. Forensic evidence and the victim's credible account corroborated the conviction under POCSO Act and IPC.
Two men were arrested in Palghar, Maharashtra, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and threatening her four-year-old son. The Virar police made the arrests on Friday, booking the accused under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Gurugram police have arrested three individuals, including two female domestic helpers and their male accomplice, in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 3-year-old girl. The arrests follow a Supreme Court decision to hear a plea for a CBI or SIT investigation into the case.
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 health inspector from the Thiruvananthapuram corporation, Anuroop, has been arrested in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl from Andhra Pradesh at a spa in Kovalam. The arrest follows an investigation by a Special Investigation Team, which also led to the arrest of spa owners. The case involves cash transactions between the inspector and the establishment, and the girl's maternal aunt and her husband have also been taken into custody.
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.
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.
The Kerala High Court has upheld the conviction and life-term sentence of a 55-year-old autorickshaw driver for sexually assaulting a minor girl he used to ferry to school back in 2012-13. The court dismissed his appeal, even after his death, affirming the trial court's findings based on the child's consistent testimony.
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.
The Supreme Court of India has stayed the execution of a man convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering a five-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh in 2024, pending further investigation and review of the case.
According to the latest NCRB data, close acquaintances are the primary offenders in 96.6 per cent of child sexual abuse cases in India. The report highlights the involvement of family members, friends, and online contacts in these offences, with Tamil Nadu reporting the highest number of cases.
A 19-year-old migrant worker from Bihar has been arrested in Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, for the alleged sexual assault of a three-year-old girl, also from Bihar, who tragically died from her injuries.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has directed police to promptly register cases, investigate expeditiously, and ensure stringent punishment for those involved in sexual crimes, following a series of incidents including the murder of a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore.
Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh demands the death penalty for the accused in the sexual assault and murder of a four-year-old girl in Pune district. He also criticises the state and central governments for delays in implementing the Shakti Act to curb sexual crimes.
An 11-year-old girl's body was found in a pond near Kolkata, with preliminary post-mortem reports indicating head injuries, sexual assault, and drowning. Police have arrested three individuals, including the key accused, as the investigation continues into the brutal crime.
The Supreme Court questioned a woman's sexual assault claim against her former live-in partner, highlighting the consensual nature of their relationship and the absence of a marriage bond.
A court in Kollam, Kerala, has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the aggravated sexual assault and torture of a four-year-old girl, highlighting the severity of child abuse cases and the legal consequences.
An 8-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by a security guard in Mumbai's Pydhonie area, leading to his arrest and widespread public protests. Hundreds gathered outside the police station, demanding swift justice and stricter laws, drawing attention from political figures like MLA Rohit Pawar.
A 41-year-old man in Kerala has been sentenced to 53 years in prison for the aggravated penetrative sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl. The Nadapuram Fast Track Special Court Judge Devan K Menon sentenced Muhammed Reyhan under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the IPC.
A special POCSO court in Thane sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the sexual assault of a six-year-old girl in Palghar district, Maharashtra, in 2018, deeming the crime 'heinous'.
Understanding that sexual abuse can be prevented and healing from abuse is possible helps parents respond with calm and confidence rather than react in fear or panic, says Psychologist Namrata Joshi.
Three people have been arrested in Chennai in connection with the murder of a migrant worker from Bihar, his wife, and their two-year-old son. The investigation revealed a sexual assault and subsequent killings.
A POCSO court in Keralam has sentenced a 64-year-old man, Abdul Razak, to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl in October 2023. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh. The incident led to a mob attack on the accused, for which his wife filed a separate case.
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.
A priest from St Vincent Ferrer Church in Mangaluru, Father Cyprian Pinto, has been arrested on charges of sexually abusing minor boys. The arrest followed intervention by Mysuru-based NGO Odanadi, after initial complaints to the diocese and child protection authorities reportedly did not lead to immediate action. Police inquiries suggest at least five children were victims.
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.
Nine people, including two government employees, have been arrested from Kasaragod district in Kerala for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy after befriending him on a mobile app for the LGBTQ community, police said on Tuesday.
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.
A three-year-old nursery student in Delhi was allegedly sexually assaulted by her school bus driver, leading to his arrest. Police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and issued an advisory to schools regarding staff verification and vehicle use.
A 19-year-old man was arrested in Chennai for allegedly sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl he befriended on social media. Police acted swiftly on the mother's complaint. The article also mentions a separate arrest of a school principal under the POCSO Act and clarifies another ongoing investigation.
The Delhi High Court has permitted the termination of a 31-week pregnancy for a 16-year-old sexual assault victim, citing that it would not be appropriate to burden the minor with childbirth and raising a child. The court recognised the termination as a human right affecting the victim's dignified existence and directed the state to cover medical expenses, ensuring foetal tissue preservation for DNA testing and offering adoption if the child is born alive.
A Fast-Track Special Court in Hoshiarpur has sentenced a 33-year-old migrant labourer, Nanke Yadav alias Radhe Sham, to death for the aggravated sexual assault and murder of a five-year-old boy. The court termed it a 'rarest of rare' case, with the death sentence subject to confirmation by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
A POCSO court in Assam's Dhubri district has sentenced Utpal Ray to death for the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in 2023, terming the crime "rarest of rare". The convict also received life imprisonment for rape and other sentences for related offences.
A 14-year-old girl from Maharashtra's Palghar district has alleged that she was forcibly married to a man, sexually assaulted and made to undergo an abortion, police said on Tuesday.
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.
