The intention behind POCSO Act is to protect children from sexual exploitation but it was never meant to criminalise consensual romantic relationships between young adults, the Delhi high court has said.
Mumbai Police have arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly molesting a 12-year-old girl in the J J Marg area. The accused has been identified as Shamshad Ibrar Ahmed Shaikh and was arrested following a swift investigation after the incident occurred on Sunday.
A Mumbai-based social media influencer has filed a complaint with Indore police, seeking an investigation into the alleged presence of minor boys and girls at a recent student protest in New Delhi. The complaint targets Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke and chief spokesperson Saurav Das, among others, for facilitating minors' participation in the NEET paper leak agitation. Police are investigating the matter, which could lead to charges under POCSO, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, IT Act, and Juvenile Justice Act if cognisable offences are found.
A 29-year-old man was arrested in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly abducting and raping a five-year-old girl. The incident occurred on June 11 when the girl was with her grandfather. Police rescued the girl, confirmed sexual assault, and arrested the accused, Chandan Kumar Shah, under BNS and POCSO Act provisions.
A 17-year-old girl was allegedly raped, stabbed to death, and her body dumped in an open field in New Delhi. Four individuals, including three minors, have been apprehended in connection with the crime. The victim and accused were known to each other, and the incident reportedly occurred after they consumed alcohol together in a tempo. Police used CCTV footage to identify and trace the suspects.
The Bombay High Court has referred to a larger bench the question of whether the state can deny furlough to prisoners convicted under special statutes like MCOCA and POCSO, citing potential violations of fundamental rights.
Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has stated his willingness to undergo a narco analysis test to help establish the truth in the sexual abuse case registered against him under the POCSO Act. He maintains his innocence and alleges the case is an attempt to defame him.
In a shocking incident Friday night, a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act accused allegedly killed a minor victim, her mother, and her grandmother under the Shabad police station limits in the Rangareddy district.
A 12-year-old girl was seriously injured after allegedly being pushed from a residential building in Khammam district following an attempted sexual assault. The 49-year-old accused, a resident of the same building, has been arrested under the POCSO Act. The girl is now out of danger, and police are investigating previous molestation attempts by the accused.
Palghar police have arrested a 23-year-old man from Bharuch, Gujarat, after a multi-state manhunt in connection with the alleged rape and blackmail of a woman and her minor sister. The case, registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and POCSO Act, had drawn political attention with BJP MLC Chitra Wagh demanding swift action.
A 29-year-old man has been arrested in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly abducting and raping a five-year-old girl. The incident occurred when the girl was with her grandfather, and the accused fled with her on a motorcycle. Police rescued the girl and confirmed sexual assault, subsequently arresting the accused and seizing his vehicle.
A 12th-grade student in Faridabad attempted suicide after an argument with an online friend. She is hospitalised and in stable condition. Police have registered an FIR against the suspect under the POCSO Act.
Govt said these amendments are aimed at discouraging the trend of child sexual abuse by acting as a deterrent.
Amroha Police demolished an alleged illegal construction belonging to an accused in a minor rape case, identified as Farman, as part of their zero-tolerance policy towards crimes against women and girls. The structure was found to be illegal after verification by the revenue department.
A 43-year-old man, Sanjay Mishra, accused of raping a minor girl in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, was arrested following a police encounter where he sustained a gunshot wound. He had allegedly lured the child under false pretences.
Three inmates escaped from a remand home in Jharkhand's Gumla district on Friday, a police officer said. The juveniles, lodged in the remand home within Gumla police station limits, escaped in the early hours of the day.
A court in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, has sentenced a man to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment under the POCSO Act for abducting a 15-year-old girl under the false pretence of marriage.
A Class 10 Dalit student in Madhya Pradesh's Niwari district committed suicide after allegedly being pressured by a man against whom she had filed a harassment complaint.
In the letter to Gandhi, Facebook said, "A post you uploaded through your Instagram account is unlawful under Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015; Section 23 of the POCSO Act, 2012; and Section 288A of the Indian Penal Code. In accordance with NCPCR's Notice, you are requested to remove this post expeditiously."
Four police personnel, including a Station House Officer, have been suspended in Samba district, Jammu and Kashmir, for allegedly facilitating a compromise in a POCSO case. A departmental inquiry has been ordered by the Samba Senior Superintendent of Police.
Tamil Nadu minister Rajmohan has asserted the state government is taking proactive measures to curb crime against children, following the sexual assault and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore. The minister detailed the government's approach of strict policing and public participation to prevent such crimes, while also hinting at the revival of student union elections in colleges across the state.
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.
A child marriage case in Maharashtra's Beed district has come to light after a minor girl suffered a miscarriage and was admitted to hospital, leading to a police investigation and charges against her husband, in-laws, and parents.
A special court in Pune has sentenced 65-year-old Bhimrao Kamble to death for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of a three-year-old girl in Nasrapur village. The victim's family expressed satisfaction with the verdict and called for its swift execution. The court termed the crime "rarest of the rare," delivering the sentence within 60 days of the incident.
A 43-year-old man has been arrested under the POCSO Act in Tiruchirapalli after a 14-year-old girl was found unconscious following an alleged abduction and sexual assault. The incident has sparked protests and drawn sharp criticism from DMK MP Kanimozhi regarding the state's law and order situation and women's safety.
A 24-year-old man has been arrested in Jharkhand's Giridih district on charges of rape after a 14-year-old girl delivered a baby at a government hospital.
Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati addresses sexual abuse allegations, asserting his innocence and claiming the charges are fabricated. An FIR was lodged against him and his disciple following a court order.
Sources said the Law Commission held a meeting with the government and sought some information on the matter of age of consent.
Bombay high court judge Justice Pushpa Ganediwala, who faced flak over a series of judgments that were deemed as controversial for the interpretation of what constitutes as 'sexual assault' under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, has resigned.
A 15-year-old girl in Jalandhar has given birth months after allegedly being raped by a boy in Amritsar. Police have registered a Zero FIR and booked the accused under the POCSO Act and the BNS.
A cab driver in Delhi has allegedly confessed to kidnapping and murdering an 11-year-old girl, whom he abducted from a pavement while she slept with her family. The accused, Bashu Kumar Singh, reportedly killed the child after an attempted sexual assault failed due to erectile dysfunction, dumping her body near the Faridabad-Gurugram border.
An RTI query reveals that only a fraction of Delhi's police stations have paralegal volunteers, and their assistance to POCSO victims is minimal, despite Supreme Court directives.
The Delhi High Court has closed a rape and POCSO Act case against a man due to his consensual relationship with a minor, considering the impact on their young family.
National para archery coach Kuldeep Vedwan has been sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually harassing a minor athlete. The Fast Track Special Court in Sonipat convicted Vedwan under the POCSO Act, following allegations dating back to April 2023.
As of December 2025, India had 880 Fast-Track Courts with 1.39 million pending cases, despite disposing of 1.33 million cases during the year.
Top Meta India executives, including chief Arun Srinivas, appeared before the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) for the second time in a week regarding alleged Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) related advertisements on its platforms. Meta has committed to reporting child safety matters directly to India's I4C cybercrime portal, a significant shift from its previous practice of reporting to a US-based centre. The government is pushing for stronger safeguards and accountability from social media platforms to ensure online child safety.
Tamil Nadu government is taking proactive measures to curb crime against children, following the sexual assault and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore. The government is focusing on strict policing, public awareness, and swift justice through fast-track courts.
The accused, a resident of Shantinagar in Bhiwandi, was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for rape and criminal intimidation, as the alleged crime occurred when the IPC was in force.
An RTI query reveals that only a fraction of Delhi's police stations have paralegal volunteers, and their assistance to POCSO victims is minimal, despite Supreme Court mandates.
An RTI query reveals that only a fraction of Delhi's police stations have paralegal volunteers, and their assistance in POCSO cases is minimal, despite a Supreme Court mandate.
