The Supreme Court stressed the need to distinguish between cases of rape and cases of genuine love involving young people coming of age. Said that the police should investigate to find out whether the case is one of kidnapping and trafficking or true love.
Can you say that loving is a crime?- Peeth
Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice R. “Now, they develop feelings for each other,” the Mahadevan bench said, referring to co-educational institutions and universities. Can you say that loving is a crime? We have to differentiate between this and criminal acts like rape etc.
The top court made this comment during the hearing of a petition in which the question has been raised whether the age of consent under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act should be reduced from 18 years to 16 years or not.
The bench said this about the girl
“When the cases are of genuine love, they like each other and want to get married… do not treat such cases as criminal cases,” the bench said. You have to keep in mind the reality of the society.
The apex court noted the trauma that such couples face when the male partner is sent to jail after the girl’s parents file a case under the POCSO Act. This is the harsh reality of society.
The bench said this
The bench said, cases are also registered under the POCSO Act for hiding marriage by running away from home. Senior advocate HS Phulka, on behalf of the petitioner organization, demanded security measures.
The bench is hearing the issue of age of consent.
He said a similar issue related to the age of consent is being considered by another bench of the apex court. He will place on record some orders of the apex court in the context of the demands made in the petition, after which the bench adjourned the hearing of the case to August 26.
Citizens’ interests are more important than business interests: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has said that the interests of citizens are more important than business interests. The top court rejected the petitions filed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Guruvayoor Infrastructure, the company that operates the toll plaza at Paliyekkara toll plaza in Thrissur (Kerala). These petitions were filed against the Kerala High Court order to suspend toll collection for four weeks.
Supreme Court refuses to interfere in the interim order of the High Court
Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K. A bench of Justices Vinod Chandran and NV Anjariya said in the order that citizens should be allowed to use the roads as they have already paid the tax. They will not have to pay any extra for plying on potholed roads. In the order uploaded on Tuesday evening, the Supreme Court refused to interfere with the interim order of the High Court.