SC Stays Bombay High Court’s order of Acquitting a man under Sexual Assault Charges

New Delhi, 27/1: The Supreme Court has stayed the Bombay High Court’s order of acquitting a man under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The Bombay High Court on January 19 had said that, “groping a minor’s breast without “skin-to-skin contact” cannot be termed as sexual assault”. Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian stayed the high court order after Attorney General KK Venugopal mentioned the matter.

The Supreme court also issued notice to Maharashtra government and permitted the Attorney General to file an appeal against the verdict of the Bombay High Court.

The Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court had given the verdict on January 19 that groping a minor’s breast without “skin-to-skin contact” cannot be termed as sexual assault as defined under the POCSO Act.

It also acquitted the man who was charged under the POCSO act as he did not remove the minor’s clothes while groping her.