A special POCSO court in Mumbai has granted a four-day temporary bail to an 18-year-old man accused of rape, allowing him to appear for the NEET retest. The decision was made after the victim gave her no objection, with the court imposing strict conditions on the accused, including a bond of Rs 50,000 and a directive to surrender after the exam.
The Supreme Court, using its extraordinary powers under Article 142, has quashed the conviction of a man sentenced under the POCSO Act. This decision came after the victim, who was a minor at the time of the offence, married the accused upon reaching adulthood. The court emphasised that this ruling is based on the peculiar facts of the case and should not be considered a precedent.
The Supreme Court has declined to interfere with the Allahabad High Court's decision to grant anticipatory bail to Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati in a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
A 19-year-old youth, Nitin Ganesh Salunkhe, accused of stalking and sexually harassing a girl under the POCSO Act, has been acquitted by a special court in Belapur. The acquittal came after the victim turned hostile during the trial, denying any knowledge of the accused or the incident.
Avimukteshwarananda has been in the headlines for his confrontation with the organisers of the Magh Mela in Prayagraj.
A special POCSO court in Nuh has sentenced Abbas to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 17,000 for the kidnapping and murder of a seven-year-old girl. The case involved the abduction of the girl from outside her home, a missing person's complaint, and the subsequent discovery of her body after the accused's arrest.
A Juvenile Justice Board in Bareilly has found a minor girl guilty of murdering her five-year-old brother. The boy was allegedly killed after he caught his sister in a compromising position with a man and threatened to tell their mother. The girl's alleged lover has already been sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the same case. The board will issue a separate order on the quantum of punishment for the juvenile.
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that Muslim personal law, which recognises puberty as the age of marriage, cannot override the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) and the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which criminalise sexual relations with a child.
Delhi Police have arrested a 38-year-old man, Rinku alias Monu, who was a proclaimed offender in a rape and POCSO Act case. He had been evading court proceedings since 2024 and was apprehended following a tip-off.
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.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar's son, Bhageerath, has petitioned the Telangana High Court for anticipatory bail in a POCSO case involving allegations of sexual harassment of a minor. He has also filed a petition to quash the criminal case. The case was registered based on a complaint by the mother of the alleged victim.
A Thane court acquitted a 27-year-old man in a kidnapping and rape case, citing the victim's adult status and voluntary accompaniment. The court emphasised the victim's capacity to make her own decisions, leading to the acquittal.
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.
Bandi Sanjay Kumar's son, Bageerath, has been arrested in connection with a Pocso case. The arrest follows a complaint alleging sexual harassment of a minor. The case has sparked political reactions, with calls for the minister's removal to ensure a fair investigation.
BRS Working President K T Rama Rao has called for the immediate removal of Bandi Sanjay Kumar from the union cabinet following the arrest of his son, Bageerath, in a POCSO case, arguing that the minister's continuation in office could hinder a fair and impartial investigation.
The Uttarakhand High Court upheld a 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence for a man convicted of raping a minor girl under the POCSO Act, dismissing his appeal and affirming the evidentiary value of school records for age determination.
The Telangana High Court has denied interim protection from arrest to Bageerath, son of Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, in a POCSO case. The court will issue orders on the anticipatory bail petition at a later date.
A Delhi court has denied bail to Raj Kumar, an accused in an inter-state child trafficking racket, emphasising that child trafficking is a "heinous scourge" and an "onslaught on the moral conscience of civilised society." The court highlighted the vulnerability of children and the commercialisation of infants, noting that the complainant's newborn is still missing and the accused's wife has prior involvement in similar cases.
The Supreme Court has permitted the filing of a special investigation team (SIT) probe report before a Gurugram court regarding the rape of a three-year-old girl. The court is also considering the role of doctors and compensation for the victim.
A special POCSO court in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, has convicted a school teacher of molesting female students and sentenced him to seven years of rigorous imprisonment.
The Supreme Court was informed that AIIMS experts have concluded self-styled godman Asaram does not require hospitalisation but needs round-the-clock medical assistance, as he seeks interim bail on health grounds.
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.
The Supreme Court has denied interim bail to self-styled godman Asaram, who is serving a life sentence for sexually assaulting a minor. While rejecting his plea for bail on health grounds for now, the court permitted him to engage a trained caretaker for round-the-clock assistance. The court noted that Asaram's counsel had previously moved for parole, and his health condition will be monitored.
A POCSO case has been filed against a VHP leader and a film director, among others, following a complaint by a girl who gained attention during the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela and later married a Muslim man in Kerala.
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.
The Rajasthan High Court has reserved its order on Asaram's appeal against his conviction and life sentence in a sexual assault case. The trial court sentenced Asaram to life imprisonment in 2018. The High Court conducted hearings in a time-bound manner following Supreme Court directions.
An FIR under the POCSO Act has been lodged against four persons, including a VHP leader and a film director, based on a complaint by a girl who gained attention during the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela and later married a Muslim man in Kerala.
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.
A man jailed in Dharwad, Karnataka, on POCSO charges is accused of harassing the victim through video calls from inside the prison.
World Championships medallist Vinesh Phogat announced that women wrestlers will appeal a Delhi court's decision to acquit former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and co-accused Vinod Tomar in a sexual harassment case. Phogat expressed deep sadness over the verdict and alleged that Singh used his influence to intimidate complainants, but affirmed the wrestlers' resolve to continue their fight for justice.
Maoist leader Azad alias Dana Keshab Rao has been released after spending over 15 years in jail as an undertrial prisoner, following his acquittal in all 49 cases registered against him in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
Nagpur police have seized sharp weapons, a laptop, and contraceptives from the residence of a 19-year-old accused in Thane, who allegedly tortured and sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl. The accused, Nirmay Madhav Pakhare, is currently hospitalised under judicial custody, while police continue to investigate digital evidence.
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.
The action was taken after a Prayagraj court directed that a case be registered on an application moved by Ashutosh Brahmachari Maharaj and others.
The Delhi High Court has upheld the acquittal of a man accused of kidnapping and raping a minor, stating that a horoscope and vaccination card are insufficient proof of age for prosecution under the POCSO Act.
An undertrial prisoner, accused of rape, has died in a district jail in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh. Police suspect suicide, citing burn injuries sustained under suspicious circumstances.
The Supreme Court has asked the Rajasthan government for an update on the health of self-styled godman Asaram, who is seeking interim bail on medical grounds. The court expressed concern about his well-being, stating "We don't want any untoward thing to happen." Asaram's counsel claims he is a high-risk patient, while the Solicitor General noted he was recently seen walking in Ayodhya and Kashi Vishwanath. The apex court is hearing his plea challenging the Rajasthan High Court's decision to uphold his conviction and life sentence for the rape of a minor.
A special court in Pune has allowed the prosecution to conduct a test identification parade of the accused in the sexual assault and murder case of a four-year-old girl in Nasrapur village. The court also ordered a medical examination to assess the accused's mental fitness. Charges are likely to be framed on May 28.
The Delhi high court on Monday stated that a girl's choice of clothing is her personal decision and suggesting that her wearing jeans might 'corrupt young boys' reflects a deeply troubling and unacceptable mindset.
