SHILLONG, India, May 11 -- Meghalaya High Court issued the following judgment/order on April 9:
1. This is a petition seeking quashing of the proceeding under the POCSO Act, 2012 with consent of the parties i.e., the petitioner No. 1 (accused) and the respondent No. 5 (victim).
2. According to the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and the respondent No. 5, the relationship between the two was consensual. It is submitted that at the relevant time, the respondent No. 5 was 17 years 8 months of age and the petitioner was around 21 years of age. It is further submitted that from the said relationship, there is a child born who is 2 years of age. It is informed that the parties are living together as husband and after marriage would be living with the parents of the respondent No. 5, since as per the custom. The parents of both the petitioner and the respondent No. 5 are present. All of them to appear before the Secretary, High Court Legal Services Committee today to enable the her to record the statement of the respondent No. 5 whether the consent is an informed consent, whether the respondent No. 5 wants to go back to school and continue her education, whether she and the child have received any benefits either from the State of Central Government, etc. The said report to be submitted on the next date.
3. The respondent No. 5 has filed her affidavit giving her 'no objection' to the quashing of the proceeding. She is present in person. When questioned, she reiterates what is stated by her in the affidavit i.e., she has 'no objection' to the quashing of the proceeding against the petitioner since they are living together and have a child from the said relationship.
4. Stand over to 24th April, 2026.
5. Interim relief granted earlier, to continue till the next date.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
