Refusing to quash criminal proceedings involving a child – now an adult – who had got married when she was a minor, resulting in her husband being booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Delhi High Court has held that an order quashing the man’s prosecution sits “squarely at odds with the legislative purpose of both POCSO and the child marriage law, which is to deter early marriage and sexual exploitation of children”.

The woman, who was around 16 years old when she got married, is seeking quashing of the criminal proceedings against her husband and family members on the ground that the relationship was consensual. The man was booked in 2023 after a call related to domestic violence was received on the police helpline number.

Justice Sanjeev Narula,

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