Rape

Criminal Law September 2026
Legal RoundUpTopic-wise Roundup

The September 2026 Criminal Law Roundup highlights important decisions of the Supreme Court and High Courts on crime against women and children, illegal arrest or detention, bail under NDPS Act, false promise of marriage, punishment under POCSO, cruelty under 498-A, victim’s testimony under rape cases, abetment of suicide and quashment of proceedings under domestic violence Act.

justice bagchi
Know thy Judge

Justice Joymalya Bagchi formerly serving as Judge of Calcutta High Court was appointed to the Supreme Court on 10 March 2025 and is in line to become the Chief Justice of India in 2031.

Section 69 BNS
Case BriefsSupreme Court

“The BNS by incorporating Section 69 brought in a separate offence carving out the fraudulent and deceitful conduct as spoken of therein from the grave offence of rape, while at the same time providing a penalty for the deceptive conduct alleged therein.”

Tarun Tejpal's acquittal
Case BriefsHigh Courts

The High Court held that the victim’s testimony was natural, credible and inspiring of confidence, while the trial court’s appreciation of evidence was not only unreasonable but perverse, rendering its conclusions untenable and contrary to any possible view of the evidence.

POCSO | Betrayed Her Trust, Destroyed Her Life, Degraded Her Very Soul: Bombay HC Upholds Life Sentence of Man Convicted of Impregnating 12-Year-Old daughter
Case BriefsHigh Courts

the High Court observed that there can never be more shocking heinous crime when a father is charged for committing sexual assault on his own daughter.

minor pregnancy termination court permission
SCC Times NewsflashWATCH NOW

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has allowed the termination of a 10-week pregnancy of a 17-year-old rape survivor and questioned the requirement

minor pregnancy termination court permission
Case BriefsHigh Courts

The Court remarked that it was repeatedly coming across such matters where, instead of proceeding with the termination of pregnancy, the authorities were shifting their burden to one another, leading to matters travelling up to the Courts seeking permission to carry out the procedure.

Section 6 And 8 POCSO Sexual Assault Minor Pregnancy Conviction
Case BriefsHigh Courts

Meghalaya High Court upholds the conviction under Sections 6 and 8, POCSO Act for 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and fine. The Court directed the DLSA and the DCPO, East Khasi Hills District to ensure that the benefits under POCSO, are made available to the survivor and her child at the earliest.

Delhi HC acquits accused in rape and kidnapping case
Case BriefsHigh Courts

The Delhi High Court acquitted a man convicted under Sections 363, 366 and 376 IPC, holding that the prosecutrix voluntarily accompanied and married the accused and that her minority was not conclusively established.

POCSO case quashed citing subsequent marriage
Case BriefsHigh Courts

“There was not a single whisper that the accused forced the prosecutrix or threatened her or had sexual intercourse on false promise of marriage. Though the victim was minor, she did not have any problem in staying with the accused and his family. Therefore, the Court held that the criminal proceedings would cause injustice.”

non-disclosure of rape victims identities
Case BriefsSupreme Court

To ensure strict compliance with the mandate on non-disclosure of rape victims’ identities, the Court further directed that a copy of this judgment be sent to all High Courts that the proscription in Section 228-A IPC is followed strictly.

failure to examine scientific experts
Case BriefsHigh Courts

The High Court examined whether reliance on CA reports, without summoning the scientific experts, affected the fairness of the trial in a case involving allegations of aggravated sexual assault and homicide

life sentence for father
Case BriefsHigh Courts

A ‘Police Didi’ Program enabled the victim to approach authorities, supported by her Principal and counsellor.

criminalise consensual relationship
Case BriefsHigh Courts

“Criminal law is meant to protect genuine victims of crime, not to rewrite the history of a relationship that was voluntarily entered into, publicly acknowledged, and sustained over several years.”

negative DNA report in rape case
Case BriefsHigh Courts

“The purpose of DNA test in rape case is to facilitate the prosecution to prove its case against the accused and merely because the DNA test has a negative report”.

Keeping penis on vagina not rape
Case BriefsHigh Courts

“The sine qua non of the offence of rape is penetration, and not ejaculation. Ejaculation without penetration constitutes an attempt to commit rape and not actual rape.”

Anwar Kadri
Case BriefsHigh Courts

Considering his criminal antecedents, the Court directed Anwar Kadri to mark his presence before the police station concerned on every Sunday between 12:00 Noon and 04:00 PM till the conclusion of the trial.

rape victim character assassination
Case BriefsHigh Courts

“Any attempt to portray a woman as being of “easy virtue” or to cast aspersions on her moral character is wholly irrelevant and expressly barred under Section 53A and the proviso to Section 146 of the Evidence Act, 1872.”

judgments on Crimes Against Women and Children in 2025
Legal RoundUpTopic-wise Roundup

Covering major criminal law updates from the Supreme Court and High Courts, this roundup offers a quick look at 2025 rulings on crimes against women and children, POCSO, POSH, JJ Act in terms of bail, criminal trial and Sentence.

bail to father repeatedly raped his minor daughter
Case BriefsHigh Courts

“The conviction and sentence awarded to convict shall also remain suspended during the pendency of this appeal, since he is a Government servant and his right to earn his livelihood for survival cannot be curtailed because of implication in this case.”