Case Transferred To POCSO Court After 8-Yrs Trial: Gujarat HC Says Police, Prosecution & Trial Court Prima Facie Failed In Discharging Duty
Live LawThe Gujarat High Court recently lamented the failure on part of the Police, the prosecution and the trial court in an assault case, which came to be transferred to a POCSO Court, eight years after commencement of trial. “Prima facie, it is very strange and also shameful on the part of the entire law enforcing and law adjudicating machinery that after eight years when the trial is proceeded substantially before the learned Judicial Magistrate First Class under the provisions of Sections 354, 504, 427 and 114 of the Indian Penal Code, the application at Exh.99 is filed to transfer the case to the POCSO Court as offences are made out under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, as the age of the victim at the time of incident was 15 years,” the Court observed. as the written arguments are also submitted and the oral arguments are going on, at that point of time, such application is made.” The high court however found no error committed by the concerned Trial Court while deciding the application for transfer to POCSO court and decided not to consider the prayers sought in the quashing petition and kept it open for the petitioners to agitate their contentions at the time of further proceedings before the concerned POCSO Court. Furthermore, unfortunately, neither of the Presiding Officer/s of the trial Court have considered this aspect and therefore, the precious working hours are wasted and now the POCSO Court has to consider the case accordingly by giving proper opportunities to the parties.” The Court then directed the concerned higher authorities to look into the matter with a view to avoid repetition of such incidents and to carry out some exercise to find out any similar incidents is/are happening anywhere across the state.