'Faith in justice restored': Supreme Court sets aside Allahabad HC order in minor assault case

By A Representative

Expressing relief and happiness over a recent judgment of the Supreme Court of India, the mother of a minor girl said the decision has reinstilled her faith in the justice system after the apex court set aside an earlier order of the Allahabad High Court.

Last year in March, the Allahabad High Court had held that grabbing the minor victim’s breast and breaking the string of her pyjama did not amount to an attempt to commit rape, but constituted only “preparation.” Challenging the ruling, Just Rights for Children, a network of over 250 NGOs working on child protection, filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court representing the victim.

Acting on the petition, a three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice N.V. Anjaria set aside the High Court’s order, terming it a “patently erroneous application of the settled principles of criminal jurisprudence.” The Bench restored the original stringent charge of attempt to rape against the two accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

“This decision has restored my faith that the law can protect children and victims. I hope no other child has to struggle to be believed, and that this judgment helps many others who cannot speak for themselves,” said the mother, whose daughter was 11 years old at the time of the incident. She added that the network stood by them when they felt unheard and powerless. “Their support gave us the courage to continue seeking justice,” she said.

The incident took place in November 2021 in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh, where the two accused allegedly dragged the girl under a culvert and attempted to undress her. She was rescued after two witnesses rushed to the spot on hearing her cries. However, in March 2025, the High Court ruled that the allegations amounted only to preparation and were insufficient to establish the offence of attempt to rape or rape, leading to dilution of charges.

In its order, the Supreme Court also directed the National Judicial Academy in Bhopal to constitute a committee to prepare a comprehensive report on developing guidelines to inculcate sensitivity among judges and within judicial processes when dealing with cases involving vulnerable victims of sexual abuse. The Academy has been granted three months to submit the report.

The Court observed, “When an attempt is being made to explain and clarify the different concepts, rights, procedures, and best practices to be followed, the Committee must ensure that the report is comprehensive and exhaustive, including appropriate and adequate explanations and illustrations wherever necessary.”

Welcoming the ruling, H.S. Phoolka, Senior Counsel for Just Rights for Children, described the judgment as historic. “This judgment will go a long way in strengthening protections for victims. It sends a clear message that bias and prejudice against survivors have no place in judicial reasoning. We are grateful to the Bench for this order,” he said.

Ravi Kant, National Convenor of Just Rights for Children, said the verdict marked the outcome of a determined fight for justice and dignity. “We welcome the Supreme Court’s decision, which restores faith in the justice system and reinforces that crimes against children and vulnerable persons must be viewed with seriousness and empathy,” he said.

The Court has also sought suggestions from the network while framing the proposed guidelines.

Comments

Covishield controversy: How India ignored a warning voice during the pandemic

Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD * It is a matter of pride for us that a person of Indian origin, presently Director of National Institute of Health, USA, is poised to take over one of the most powerful roles in public health. Professor Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian origin physician and a health economist, from Stanford University, USA, will be assuming the appointment of acting head of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA. Bhattacharya would be leading two apex institutions in the field of public health which not only shape American health policies but act as bellwether globally.

Growth without justice: The politics of wealth and the economics of hunger

By Vikas Meshram* In modern history, few periods have displayed such a grotesque and contradictory picture of wealth as the present. On one side, a handful of individuals accumulate in a single year more wealth than the annual income of entire nations. On the other, nearly every fourth person in the world goes to bed hungry or half-fed.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

'Serious violation of international law': US pressure on Mexico to stop oil shipments to Cuba

By Vijay Prashad In January 2026, US President Donald Trump declared Cuba to be an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US security—a designation that allows the United States government to use sweeping economic restrictions traditionally reserved for national security adversaries. The US blockade against Cuba began in the 1960s, right after the Cuban Revolution of 1959 but has tightened over the years. Without any mandate from the United Nations Security Council—which permits sanctions under strict conditions—the United States has operated an illegal, unilateral blockade that tries to force countries from around the world to stop doing basic commerce with Cuba. The new restrictions focus on oil. The United States government has threatened tariffs and sanctions on any country that sells or transports oil to Cuba.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

When a lake becomes real estate: The mismanagement of Hyderabad’s waterbodies

By Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava* Misunderstood, misinterpreted and misguided governance and management of urban lakes in India —illustrated here through Hyderabad —demands urgent attention from Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), the political establishment, the judiciary, the builder–developer lobby, and most importantly, the citizens of Hyderabad. Fundamental misconceptions about urban lakes have shaped policies and practices that systematically misuse, abuse and ultimately erase them—often in the name of urban development.

When grief becomes grace: Kerala's quiet revolution in organ donation

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Kerala is an important model for understanding India's diversity precisely because the religious and cultural plurality it has witnessed over centuries brought together traditions and good practices from across the world. Kerala had India's first communist government, was the first state where a duly elected government was dismissed, and remains the first state to achieve near-total literacy. It is also a land where Christianity and Islam took root before they spread to Europe and other parts of the world. Kerala has deep historic rationalist and secular traditions.

Search This Blog