Latest news with #PocsoAct
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Delhi High Court quashes Pocso FIR, directs accused to do community service
New Delhi: Delhi High Court has quashed an FIR under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, but directed the accused to perform community service for a month at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital. The man was accused of harassing and threatening a minor school-going girl. A single-judge bench of Justice Sanjeev Narula also ordered him to pay Rs 50,000 as costs, to be deposited towards Army Welfare Fund Battle Casualties. "Having regard to the nature of allegations, this court finds it appropriate to direct the petitioner to undertake community service as a measure of accountability and reflection," the judge said, ordering community service from June 1 to 30, 2025. Initially, the court was not inclined to quash the FIR in a perfunctory manner. However, after a detailed and careful interaction with the complainant and her mother, the court noted that they consciously chose to move on. "They expressed that the complainant is currently exploring matrimonial prospects, and that the pendency of a criminal case may result as a serious impediment to her future opportunities and personal relationships," the bench said. "Her mother specifically submitted that ongoing criminal proceedings of this nature are likely to create social stigma and could undermine the family's efforts to secure a suitable match for the complainant," it added. The FIR was registered under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman to outrage her modesty), 354C (voyeurism), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (insulting modesty of a woman), 384 (extortion) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code and Section 12 (sexual harassment) of Pocso Act . A settlement deed was entered into between the parties, according to which the complainant voluntarily resolved all her disputes with the accused and agreed to give no objection to the quashing of the FIR. It was recorded that she neither received any monetary compensation from the accused nor intended to claim any. The court noted that ordinarily, allegations of such nature, particularly those involving the sexual harassment of a minor, would not merit quashing. However, it added that the law was equally cognisant of the survivor's right to privacy, dignity and closure. Observing that the allegations pertain to a deeply troubling pattern of coercion and intimidation directed at a school-going minor, including threats to publicly disseminate her private photographs in exchange for money, the bench said that such behaviour, if true, reflected a gross misuse of digital platforms and an alarming disregard for consent and personal dignity.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Man gets 10yrs jail for raping minor
Bareilly: A local court has sentenced a man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping the minor daughter of a widowed labourer in 2012. The girl, 16, lived with her mother, a widow who worked at a brick kiln in a village in Kheri district. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now When her mother went to work, the accused, Narottam, 31, barged into her thatched hut and raped the minor. Her mother came to know about the assault later and lodged a complaint at Mohammadi police station. After three years of investigation, the police filed a chargesheet in the court against Narottam under IPC section 376 (rape) and the Pocso Act. The court considered the statement of the survivor and the medical examination report. Her statement under section 161 before police and under 164 CrPC before the court were the same. District govt counsel Brajesh Singh said on Tuesday, "The court of special judge (Pocso Act), Ghulam Mustafa, found the accused guilty of rape and awarded him 10 years of RI along with a cash fine of Rs 20,000. The case was listed under 'mission conviction'."
India Today
8 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Government questions Kerala school for inviting Pocso-accused vlogger for event
The Kerala Education Department ordered an enquiry after a vlogger, who is accused in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) case, was invited as the chief guest at a government school's reopening M Nair, a popular vlogger, participated in the 'Praveshanolsavam', a ceremonial welcome for students, at Fort High School in Thiruvananthapuram on June Kovalam police had earlier registered a case against Nair under the Pocso Act for allegedly coercing a minor girl to appear in inappropriate social media content without proper The Deputy Director of Education, Thiruvananthapuram, has now been directed to investigate the incident and submit a report controversy comes just days after Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty revealed in the Assembly that 77 Pocso cases had been filed against employees working under the General Education Department, 65 of them teachers and 12 non-teaching added that nine of the accused have already been terminated from service and assured strict action against the rest. The government instructed that all pending disciplinary actions in Pocso-related cases more than a year old must be acted upon. The Director of Public Education has also been directed to ensure follow-up in cases where action is yet to be taken, he informed. IN THIS STORY#Kerala
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
15-yr-old girl raped bycleric in UP madrassa
Agra: A 15-year-old girl from Haridwar was allegedly repeatedly raped by a 30-year-old cleric inside a local madrassa in Muzaffarnagar. Police said the accused fled from the seminary after people came to know about the crime, and was later arrested. Muzaffarnagar DSP, Rupali Rao, said, "A case was registered against the accused at Nai Mandi thana following a complaint by a woman on May 31, stating that her daughter was sexually assaulted by a seminary cleric. Three teams were formed. We nabbed the absconding cleric within 24 hours, on June 1. He has been sent to jail and further investigation is on." A police officer, investigating the case, added the 15-year-old was sexually assaulted twice on April 5 and the accused may have violated her on other occasions as well. He also threatened the Class 6 student with "dire consequences" if she revealed the crime. After repeated assaults, she shared her ordeal with her mother who approached the cops. An FIR was subsequently registered under BNS sections 65 (1) (rape) and 352 (intentional insult with the intent to provoke a breach of peace), along with sections under the Pocso Act. The survivor was sent for medical tests, whose reports are pending, police said. The survivor, along with her sister, both hailing from Haridwar district, had been enrolled in the madrassa by their mother for the past two years. Their father had passed away a few years ago.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Be friends with kids, advise experts as cops flag Insta concerns
Kolkata: If you have a teenager, who spends a good part of the day on social media, it is important that you try and know how your ward is conducting himself or herself in the virtual world. With message to the parents, Lalbazar has asked them to be vigilant about their children's online activities, especially Instagram and FaceTime, to ensure they do not become victims of cybercrime. The Kolkata Police cyber cell has posted a 22-second video on their X handle in this regard. The post, in Bengali, aims to address a larger section of residents. "Be friends with your children. Teach them about the latest online crimes. Check where they are going and whom they are in touch with. Try to understand what they want. Do not merely rebuke them," stated the post. Cops stated that with cases of Instagram stalking and threats on the rise, parents need to "become friends" with their children and keep talking to them to understand what they are experiencing in the virtual world. "My child is in Class 8. At the end of the day, I make it a point to speak to him about his day, his interaction with friends, most of which happen online during the day. I have ensured that in this relationship, we trust each other," said Angshuman Roy, a techie residing at Patuli. Cops recalled how a parent had filed a case last year against a social media platform under the Pocso Act. The complaint alleged that the Meta-owned photosharing platform Instagram of hosting indecent content featuring children. A FIR was filed by the cyber police station of Dakshin Dinajpur named Instagram as a co-accused in an offence under Section 12 of the Pocso Act and Section 67 (B) of the IT Act, 2000. "I have a daughter who is entering college this year. Her life revcolves around Instagram. I have had number of conversations with her on this issue. Initially resistant, she now realizes that it is for her own good that I am kept in the loop. However, I make it a point not to intrude in her piracy," said Ritika Sen, a single mother. The post has also provided the 1930 number to report any cybercrime involving a child. The police have also asked anyone facing cyberbullying to contact the 1930 helpline number immediately for redress rather than suffer silently. "Children have access to smartphones from a very early age now. This results in easy access to the internet even as they remain unaware of the basic safeguards they need to maintain. Cyberbullying is a serious issue, where random people needlessly troll others insensitively during online interaction. Here, the role of the parent is important, and guiding the child—who can get easily influenced by peers—needs to be done. Hence, there is more need for cyber security awareness among children as well as the parents, which can keep the wards safe," said the officer. Shovana Mukherji, a counsellor who specializes in conseling minors insist that parental involvement should be supportive not intrusive. "While monitoring is understandable, it should be done transparently with an emphasis on open conversation. Excessive monitoring can damage trust, sense of self-identity, increase secrecy and strain the parent-child relationship. Instead of only monitoring content, parents should be encouraged to educate the vulnerable children about safe online practices," said Mukherji. Schools are also aware of the social media challenges and are encouraging parents to play an important role in preventing children. Rishi Aurobindo Memorial Academy principal Bobby Baxter said, "We understand that social media can be a powerful tool for communication and self-expression, but it can also be misused in ways that can harm individuals. We educate our students and parents through awareness and workshop programmes and counselling with the help of the local cyber cell. " Bivas Chatterjee, special PP and cyber law expert, stated that there should be caution in uploading a child's information. "Whether it is the Pocso Act or Juvenile Justice Act, the child's rights are protected. The US and European nations are dealing with multiple suits on this issue. It just goes on to show that a child's rights are sacrosanct, and parents have a responsibility in safeguarding the same," said Chatterjee.
