The Kerala High Court has quashed a case registered against a youth under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in Pathanamtitta, stating that he later married the girl when she became a major, and they were presently leading a happy married life.
A Bench of Justice C. Pratheep Kumar passed the order on a plea by the youth who had been charged with sexually assaulting the girl when she was a minor, at his house. He submitted that they were now leading a happy married life after he married her in October 2025, four months after the incident and after she became a major. The girl, his wife, also submitted an affidavit seeking to quash the case.
The court referred to decisions by the High Court and the Supreme Court on the matter and noted that the lives of the survivor, the accused person, and any child born to them from marriage would be adversely affected, if criminal proceedings were not terminated. But quashing of the proceedings would promote harmony, peace, and happiness, safeguarding their family life and allowed the 23-year-old youth’s plea to quash the case.
Published – February 04, 2026 10:33 pm IST
