New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) All India Imam Organisation chief, Maulana Sajid Rashidi, on Sunday slammed Swami Avimukteshwaranand, saying the recent special court order for registering an FIR against him under the POCSO Act for alleged sexual abuse of minors exposes the shocking reality that revered religious leaders, often worshipped like gods, may hide a dark and criminal side. Rashidi called the development “deeply disturbing” and demanded strict action, warning that no spiritual status should pr…
Latest POCSO Act News & Updates
Jaipur, Feb 21 (IANS) The Rajasthan High Court has expressed strong concern over the prolonged absence of a chairperson and members of the Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (RSCPCR), the apex statutory body responsible for safeguarding children’s rights in the state.The court issued a notice to the state government during the preliminary hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed on the issue, seeking a detailed response.A division bench comprising Justice Dr. Pu…
Chennai, Feb 19 (IANS) A 29-year-old teacher, employed at a private school in Tamil Nadu’s Palayamkottai, has been arrested on the charges of sexually harassing minor girl students. The accused, identified as Jobin Solomon, had been working at the institution for the past three years.He was handling mathematics classes for students in Classes 9, 10 and 11.The case came to light after complaints surfaced regarding his alleged inappropriate conduct toward girl students both inside and outside the …
New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS) The Supreme Court has set aside the controversial Allahabad High Court judgment that had ruled grabbing a minor’s breasts and breaking her pyjama string was not sufficient to constitute a charge of attempt to rape.Disposing of the suo motu matter, including the criminal appeals arising from petitions filed by two NGOs and the victim’s mother, a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant held that the Allahabad High Court’s reasoning was based on a “paten…
Amaravati, Feb 18 (IANS) The suspect in the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl had escaped from police custody, police said, adding that his body was found in a lake in Andhra Pradesh’s Annamayya district on Wednesday. Kulavardhan (30) was found dead in a lake in Kanasanipalli village Kuralabalakota mandal.District Superintendent of Police K. Dheeraj told media persons that the accused escaped when he was being taken in a police vehicle on Tuesday. The DSP said the police launched a hunt f…
Bhubaneswar, Feb 17 (IANS) A Special POCSO court in Odisha’s Sambalpur, on Tuesday, sentenced two persons to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) each in two separate cases involving the sexual abuse of minors in the district. “On November 29, 2025, a 10-year-old girl, who had gone to a shop near her residence to buy a packet of snacks, was returning home when the 55-year-old accused Madhusudan Bagarty, who was seated at his residence, forcibly dragged her inside and raped her,” Special Public…
New Delhi, Feb 6 (IANS) The POCSO Act, 2012, defines a child as any person below the age of 18 years and dilution of the age of consent or introduction of exceptions in matters involving sexual activity may undermine child safety, the Union government told in Lok Sabha on Friday. Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Annpurna Devi, in reply to a query, said, “The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act does not explicitly define the term consent, and under the statutory…
Patna, Feb 4 (IANS) In the case of the suspicious death of a student preparing for the NEET examination in Patna, the Patna Police have made several significant revelations, giving a fresh twist to the high-profile case. Considering the gravity of the matter, the Bihar government has transferred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).According to the Patna Police, preliminary investigation revealed that the victim’s family initially attempted to suppress the incident an…
Jaipur, Feb 4 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Tuesday directed authorities to take the strictest possible legal action against gangs involved in drug trafficking, gangster networks, and hardcore criminals. He also ordered the launch of special campaigns to make the state drug-free.Chairing a high-level meeting of the Home Department at the Chief Minister’s Residence, Sharma said that effective control must be ensured over gangsters and habitual offenders.He instructed poli…
Srinagar, Feb 2 (IANS) The police in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar district said on Monday that it has secured a 14-year conviction of the accused in a case filed under the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. A police statement said, “The Srinagar Police has secured conviction in a case in which an FIR has been registered at M.R. Gunj Police Station under Sections 363, 376 of the IPC read with Section 4 of the POCSO Act.””The case pertains to the kidnapping and sexual assault…