Supreme Court raps UP Govt for delay in POCSO case

New Delhi, July 4

The Supreme Court has pulled up the UP Government for failing to comply with its order on examination of a minor victim of sexual assault under the POCSO Act by June 30.

Giving one week to the prosecution to examine the victim in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case, a Vacation Bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice A Amanullah warned that it would summon the state Home Secretary, if the order was not complied with.

“Our order was a mandatory order, it was to be followed in letter and spirit. We are not passing orders just for fun,” Justice Amanullah told senior advocate Garima Prasad, who represented the UP Government.

“We are seeing it happening day in and day out….every state counsel is taking our orders casually. If it is not done within one week, we will call your Home Secretary here. We are at fault for letting these things happen….the fault is on our part. The message has to go (out),” the Bench said while hearing a bail plea of a man accused of raping a 16-year-old girl.

The top court’s comments came after Prasad sought adjournment on the ground that the victim’s evidence could not be recorded as there was a condolence meeting in the trial court.