MAHESH DAMU KHAREversusTHE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA & ANR.
2024 INSC 89726 November 2024Appeal(s) allowed
The appellant, a self‑described social worker, was accused by a woman of having a decade‑long sexual relationship with her based on false promises of marriage, leading to an FIR under Sections 376, 420, 504 and 506 IPC. The appellant sought to quash the FIR under Section 482 CrPC, arguing that the relationship was cons…
SATAURAM MANDAVIversusTHE STATE OF CHHATTISGARH & ANR.
2025 INSC 89225 July 2025Case Partly allowed
The appellant was convicted for aggravated penetrative sexual assault of a five‑year‑old girl under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and Section 376AB IPC, and was sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life. The offence occurred on 20 May 2019, before the 2019 amendment to Section 6 of the POCSO Act, whi…
JUST RIGHTS FOR CHILDREN ALLIANCE & ANR.versusS. HARISH & ORS.
2024 INSC 71623 September 2024Disposed off
The case arose from an FIR filed in 2020 alleging that the accused, S. Harish, had downloaded and stored child pornographic videos on his mobile phone. The investigation recovered two such videos and a chargesheet was filed under Section 15(1) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and Section 6…
X ETC.versusRAJESH KUMAR & ORS.
2025 INSC 57923 April 2025Appeal(s) allowed
The Supreme Court examined whether the Kerala High Court erred in quashing five FIRs filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against a computer teacher accused of inappropriate conduct with female students. The allegations included holding students' hands while using a mouse, asking inva…
IN RE: RIGHT TO PRIVACY OF ADOLESCENTS versus
2025 INSC 77822 May 2025
The Supreme Court examined a criminal appeal filed by the State of West Bengal challenging a High Court order that had set aside the conviction of an accused under the POCSO Act and IPC for raping a 14‑year‑old girl who later married him and bore a child. The Court restored the conviction for offences under Section 6 o…
S.C. NARANGversusSTATE (NCT OF DELHI) & ANR.
2025 INSC 68822 April 2025Appeal(s) allowed
A four‑year‑old girl studying in the nursery class of Maxfort School, Delhi, alleged that a classmate sexually assaulted her. A charge‑sheet was filed under Section 21 of the POCSO Act read with Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act against the school principal, two teachers and the V…
SACHINversusSTATE OF MAHARASHTRA
2025 INSC 71621 April 2025Disposed off
The appellant was convicted under the POCSO Act and IPC for penetrative sexual assault on a four‑year‑old girl and sentenced to seven years' rigorous imprisonment. In his appeal against conviction, the High Court affirmed the conviction but, finding that the trial court had overlooked aggravated provisions, issued a sh…
SAMBHUBHAI RAISANGBHAI PADHIYARversusSTATE OF GUJARAT
[2024] 12 S.C.R. 107217 December 2024Case Partly allowed
The appellant was convicted of kidnapping, brutal sexual assault and murder of a four‑year‑old boy and sentenced to death by the trial court, a sentence confirmed by the Gujarat High Court. The Supreme Court examined whether the circumstantial evidence satisfied the golden principles and whether the presumption under S…
SUNITA DEVIversusTHE STATE OF BIHAR & ANR
2024 INSC 44817 May 2024Dismissed
The case arose from a POCSO trial in which the Special Judge conducted the proceedings in extreme haste, denying the accused the opportunity to consult counsel, receive documents, and present a defence, and ultimately imposing a death sentence that was set aside by the Patna High Court and a de novo trial ordered. The …
JAI PRAKASHversusSTATE OF UTTARAKHAND
2025 INSC 86116 July 2025Case Partly allowed
The appellant, Jai Prakash, was convicted of raping and murdering a 10‑year‑old girl. Evidence included the victim’s body recovered from his hut, the last‑seen testimony of child witnesses, and DNA matches linking the appellant to the victim’s underwear and hair. The trial and High Courts affirmed conviction under IPC …
IRFAN ALIAS BHAYU MEVATIversusSTATE OF MADHYA PRADESH
2025 INSC 15016 January 2025Appeal(s) allowed
The appellants Irfan and Asif Mevati were convicted of kidnapping, rape, and related offences and sentenced to death based largely on a DNA profiling report (Exhibit‑157). The trial court and the High Court relied on the report without examining any of the scientific experts who prepared it, and the appellants were giv…
AKHTAR ALI @ ALI AKHTAR @ SHAMIM @ RAJA USTADversusSTATE OF UTTARAKHAND
2025 INSC 109710 September 2025Appeal(s) allowed
The appellants were convicted for the rape and murder of a minor girl based on circumstantial evidence, a disputed 'last seen' theory, alleged motive of lust, and DNA forensic reports. The Supreme Court examined the credibility of the motive, the reliability of the last seen testimony, and the integrity of the forensic…
DASHWANTHversusSTATE OF TAMIL NADU
2025 INSC 12038 October 2025Appeal(s) allowed
The appellant was convicted and sentenced to death for murder, kidnapping, rape and offences under the POCSO Act based on four alleged pillars of evidence: a last‑seen‑together theory, CCTV footage, a confession‑derived disclosure statement and DNA profiling. The Supreme Court examined whether each of these pillars was…
WARISversusSTATE OF MADHYA PRADESH
2025 INSC 7128 May 2025
The appellant, Waris, was convicted under Sections 302, 201, 376(2)(i) and 376AB of the IPC and Sections 5 and 6 of the POCSO Act for raping and killing his step‑daughter. During the trial, his original counsel withdrew and he could not afford a new lawyer, so the trial court appointed a legal‑aid defence counsel on th…
RAMJI LAL BAIRWA & ANR.versusSTATE OF RAJASTHAN & ORS.
2024 INSC 8467 November 2024Appeal(s) allowed
The case arose from an FIR lodged under the IPC, POCSO Act and SC/ST Act against a school teacher for allegedly rubbing the breast of a 16‑year‑old girl, a sexual assault under Section 7 of the POCSO Act. The teacher and the victim's father later entered into a compromise, and the teacher sought quashment of the FIR un…
AASIF @ PASHAversusTHE STATE OF U.P. & ORS.
2025 INSC 9446 August 2025Disposed off
The appellant was convicted under several provisions of the IPC, the POCSO Act and the SC/ST Atrocities Act and sentenced to a maximum of four years’ rigorous imprisonment, to run concurrently. While his appeal against conviction was pending before the Allahabad High Court, he filed an application under Section 389 of …
JAMNALALversusSTATE OF RAJASTHAN AND ANOTHER
2025 INSC 9356 August 2025Appeal(s) allowed
The father of a minor rape victim appealed against the Rajasthan High Court's order that suspended the conviction and sentence of the accused under Section 389 of the CrPC and released him on bail. The accused had been convicted under Sections 3/4(2) of the POCSO Act and Section 376(3) of the IPC, receiving a 20‑year r…
GYANENDRA SINGH @ RAJA SINGHversusSTATE OF U.P.
2025 INSC 3356 March 2025Case Partly allowed
The appellant, Gyanendra Singh, was convicted for raping his nine‑year‑old daughter, resulting in convictions under Sections 376(2)(f) and 376(2)(i) of the IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the POCSO Act, with a life sentence and a fine. He appealed, arguing that because the offences overlapped, the special law (POCSO) under…
RAJASEKARversusSTATE REP. BY THE INSPECTOR OF POLICE
2024 INSC 965 February 2024
The appellant was convicted under sections 3(a) and 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and sentenced by the Sessions Court to ten years of rigorous imprisonment, a fine of Rs.5,000, a three‑month default sentence of simple imprisonment and a compensation of Rs.1,00,000 to the victim. The H…
BHANEI PRASAD @ RAJUversusSTATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
2025 INSC 9344 August 2025Dismissed
The father was convicted under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and Section 506 of the IPC for repeatedly committing aggravated penetrative sexual assault on his ten‑year‑old daughter. The trial court, relying on the victim's testimony, corroboration from her elder sister, and forensic DNA evidence, sentenced him to life imp…
DEEPAK KUMAR SAHUversusSTATE OF CHHATTISGARH
2025 INSC 9294 August 2025Dismissed
The appellant was convicted under IPC sections 450 and 376(2) and POCSO Act section 4 for raping a 15‑year‑old girl after forcing her onto a cot in the porch of her house. The prosecution's case rested primarily on the victim's detailed testimony, corroborated by her brother, parents, and neighbours, while medical evid…
KARANDEEP SHARMA @ RAZIA @ RAJUversusSTATE OF UTTARAKHAND
2025 INSC 4444 March 2025Appeal(s) allowed
The appellant was convicted of kidnapping, rape, and murder of a minor based entirely on circumstantial evidence, a confession narrated by a police officer, and DNA/FSL reports. The Supreme Court examined the reliability of the 'last seen' testimony, the admissibility of the confession under Sections 24, 25 and 26 of t…
SUSHIL KUMAR TIWARIversusHARE RAM SAH & ORS.
2025 INSC 10611 September 2025Disposed off
The case involved a minor girl who became pregnant after being allegedly raped separately by two accused, Hare Ram Sah and Manish Tiwari, in 2016. The trial court convicted them under IPC s.376(2) and POCSO §§4,6, imposing rigorous life imprisonment, but the High Court acquitted them, holding that the prosecution faile…