The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act of 2012 is not intended to bring within its ambit the romantic relationships between adolescents or teenagers. Yet, many youngsters are getting prosecuted under the law. It is high time that the Act is amended appropriately, the Madras High Court has said.
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh said several cases booked under the stringent Pocso Act fell under the category of elopement of teenagers. However, as a consequence of police complaints lodged by family members of the girls, the boys get arrested invariably and thereafter their youthful life comes to a grinding halt.
“An adolescent boy caught in a situation like this will surely have no defence if the criminal case is taken to its logical end. Punishing an adolescent boy who enters into a relationship with a minor girl by treating him as an offender was never the objective of the Pocso Act,” the judge said. He hoped that the legislature would take note of the situation….