Supreme Court voices concern over in-laws being dragged in criminal cases arising out of marital disputes
The Supreme Court of India has quashed a POCSO case against a woman, expressing concern over the misuse of criminal laws to settle scores in marital disputes. The court criticized the practice of using children to vilify ex-spouses and noted that the FIR in question lacked credibility.
Why it matters
This ruling highlights the judiciary's growing concern regarding the weaponization of serious criminal statutes like POCSO in domestic litigation, which can undermine the protection of actual victims.
The Supreme Court has voiced concern over in-laws being dragged in to settle scores in cases arising out of marital discord and often children being used to vilify each other, as it quashed a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case registered against an aunt of a minor, whose parents are locked in a bitter matrimonial dispute.
A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran criticised the view taken by the Bombay High Court in refusing to quash the case without even examining the material on record.
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