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POCSO: Sentence reduced – Provisions applicable at the time of the offense

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The High Court of Delhi, in the appeal against a conviction under Section 376(2)(i) of the IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act, modified the Appellant’s conviction to Section 4 of the POCSO Act, taking into account the legal provisions applicable at the time of the offense. Consequently, the Court reduced the sentence to the period of imprisonment already undergone (approximately nine years), while maintaining the fine and compensation directions.

Case Background

  • Conviction: The Appellant was initially convicted by the trial court under Section 376(2)(i) of the IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act, receiving a life sentence, fines, and compensation mandates.
  • Defense Claims: The Appellant argued that the victim’s age was not established beyond a reasonable doubt, that the chain of custody for biological samples was broken, and that he was falsely implicated.

Court’s Findings

  • Age of Prosecutrix: The High Court rejected the challenge to the victim’s age, noting it was established through school records (admission form, register, and certificates) provided by the School In-Charge (PW-2), which remained unchallenged during the trial.
  • Scientific Evidence: The Court upheld the integrity of the scientific evidence, finding that the prosecution proved the samples were delivered to the Forensic Science Laboratory with their seals intact. DNA analysis showed that alleles from the Appellant’s sample (exhibit 15) were accounted for in the victim’s anal inner swab sample (exhibit 6).
  • Legal Modification: The Court observed that at the time of the offense, the provision under which the Appellant was sentenced carried a maximum punishment of ten years, which was later enhanced by a 2019 amendment. Therefore, the sentencing was adjusted to reflect the law as it stood at the time of the crime.

Conclusion and Relief

  • Mitigating Circumstances: The Court considered the Appellant’s satisfactory jail conduct, his status as an illiterate person from an economically weaker section, and the financial hardship his prolonged incarceration caused his family (wife and two minor children).

Order: The appeal was allowed in part. The conviction was modified from Section 6 to Section 4 of the POCSO Act, and the sentence was reduced to the period already undergone. The Appellant was ordered to be released, provided he is not required in any other case.

2026 DHC 5597

Sudhir @ Lukka Vs. State (NCT of Delhi) (D.O.J. 14.07.2026)

2026 DHC 5597 click here to view full text of judgment

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Limitation: Probate of a Will is a “continuous right”

July 16, 2026 No Comments

Supreme Court held that an application for the probate of a Will is a “continuous right” and is not subject to an absolute three-year limitation period starting from the date of the testator’s death. The Court further clarified that questions regarding the limitation of a probate application and the potential “suspicious” nature of a Will cannot be adjudicated summarily under Order VII Rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), as these constitute mixed questions of law and fact requiring evidence.

Background

The case involved an application for probate of a Will executed on 15th April 1995, filed by an executor on 31st August 2005. The District Judge, Deoghar, rejected the application based on an Order VII Rule 11 CPC application filed by objectors, citing an unexplained delay since the testator’s death in 1995. The High Court subsequently affirmed this decision, leading to the current appeal.

Key Legal Findings

  • Limitation Period for Probate: The Court clarified that the Indian Succession Act (ISA) does not prescribe a specific time limit for filing a probate application. Referencing established precedent, the Court held that the right to apply for probate is a “continuous right” that accrues when it becomes necessary to apply, rather than automatically upon the death of the testator.
  • Accrual of Right: In this specific case, the Court found the application to be within limitation, as the necessity to apply arose when the respondents took actions hostile to the Will (the execution of a Power of Attorney by the testator’s wife on 8th August 2005), which occurred shortly before the probate application was filed.
  • Scope of Order VII Rule 11 CPC: The Court ruled that lower courts erred by deciding the merits of the Will’s sanctity during a summary proceeding under Order VII Rule 11. Rejection of a plaint at this threshold stage is a “drastic power” and is legally unsustainable when the issue of limitation involves mixed questions of law and fact that require the parties to lead evidence.

Outcome

  • Judgment Set Aside: The Supreme Court set aside the orders of both the District Judge and the High Court of Jharkhand.
  • Case Restoration: The appeal was allowed, and the matter was restored to the concerned Civil Court to proceed in accordance with the law.

Is there anything specific regarding the procedural aspects of this judgment you would like me to clarify?

2026 INSC 708             

Sanjay Sharma @ Sanjay Bhardwaj v. Krishnadhan Khaware and Ors (D.O.J. 15.07.2026)

2026 INSC 708 click here to view full text of judgment

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Conviction set aside in 41 years old murder case – Highly Unusual Circumstances

July 16, 2026 No Comments

Supreme Court set aside the conviction and life sentences of the accused-appellants, acquitting them of all charges. The Court held that the prosecution failed to establish the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt, as the foundational narrative regarding the timing and manner of the occurrence was significantly undermined by “highly unusual circumstances” and serious investigative lapses, leading to the conclusion that the First Information Report (FIR) was a post-investigation document.

Background

The accused-appellants were convicted by the trial Court in 1981 for offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including murder, based on the prosecution’s claim that they killed the deceased-victim, Harihar Saran, on the afternoon of 28th June, 1977. The High Court subsequently affirmed these convictions in 2011. During the pendency of the appeals before the Supreme Court, some of the original appellants passed away, leading to the abatement of their appeals.

Key Findings and Analysis

The Supreme Court identified several critical infirmities in the prosecution’s case that cast a “serious cloud of doubt” over the entire narrative:

  • Unnatural Conduct and Lack of Preservation: The Court noted it was highly unnatural that the dead body was left unattended at the place of occurrence throughout the night following the incident, despite the police station being located only about 3.5 miles away. No steps were taken by the police or the victim’s family to preserve the scene or the body.
  • Investigative Lapses: There was an inordinate and unexplained delay in conducting the post-mortem examination, which took place approximately 48 hours after the alleged time of the incident.
  • Contradictory Records: Material inconsistencies existed regarding the individuals who accompanied the complainant to the police station to lodge the FIR. The complainant’s testimony contradicted the contemporaneous General Diary entries maintained by the police.
  • Post-Investigation FIR: A crucial finding was that the FIR, although purportedly registered on 28th June, 1977, was only received in the Magistrate’s Court on 30th June, 1977. The Court concluded that, when viewed alongside other attendant circumstances, this delay, along with the other gaps in the investigation, clearly indicated that the FIR was a “post investigation document”.
  • Unreliable Eyewitnesses: Due to the aforementioned discrepancies, the Court found the testimony of the alleged eye-witnesses to be unreliable, making their presence at the crime scene “highly improbable”.

Outcome

  • Acquittal: The Court concluded that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt, eroding the “substratum of the prosecution case”.
  • Final Order: The judgments of the trial Court and the High Court were set aside. The surviving accused-appellants (Hira Lal, Raj Bux, and Subedar) were acquitted of all charges.

Juvenility Plea: Having acquitted the accused on the merits of the case, the Court found it unnecessary to examine the plea of juvenility raised on behalf of one of the appellants.

2026 INSC 707

Deo Prasad and Anr. v. State of Uttar Pradesh (D.O.J. 15.07.2026)

2026 INSC 707 click here to view full text of judgment

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FIR In Matrimonial offence quashed on amicable settlement

July 16, 2026 No Comments

In the matter of Ankit Khanna & Ors. vs. State of NCT Delhi & Anr., the High Court of Delhi allowed the petition to quash FIR No. 0129/2022, registered at PS Greater Kailash for offenses under Section 498A/406/506/34 IPC, following an amicable settlement between the parties.

  • Background: The petitioners sought the quashing of the FIR based on a settlement reached regarding all matrimonial disputes.
  • Resolution:
    • The marriage between petitioner no. 1 and respondent no. 2 had already been dissolved by a decree of divorce.
    • Respondent no. 2, who maintains custody of their daughter, confirmed that she has received a full and final settlement amount of Rs. 1,00,00,000 in lieu of all claims regarding stridhan and maintenance.
    • Respondent no. 2 stated that she no longer wished to pursue the prosecution of the petitioners.
  • Court’s Decision: The Court, satisfied that the settlement was voluntary and that continuing the trial would not serve the interest of justice, allowed the petition and quashed the FIR and all subsequent proceedings.

2026 DHC 5624

Ankit Khanna & Ors. Vs. State Of NCT Delhi Through Sho Police Station & Anr. (D.O.J. 14.07.2026)

2026 DHC 5624 click here to view full text of judgment

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Petitioner is already pursuing a remedy before the appropriate forum – No Relief

July 16, 2026 No Comments

In the matter of Gaurav Jain vs. State, the High Court of Delhi dismissed a writ petition seeking directions for an effective, time-bound investigation in e-FIR No. 80055081/2026, on the grounds that the petitioner had already initiated parallel proceedings regarding the same subject matter before the Magistrate.

  • Relief Sought: The petitioner, a practicing advocate, approached the High Court to direct the Respondent to conduct a proper and time-bound investigation into a specific e-FIR and to submit periodic status reports.
  • Court’s Observation: The Court noted that the petition was not maintainable because the petitioner had already filed an application under Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) before the concerned Magistrate, which remains pending.
  • Outcome: As the petitioner is already pursuing a remedy before the appropriate forum, the High Court declined to entertain the writ petition at this stage.

2026 DHC 5622

Gaurav Jain Vs. State (D.O.J. 14.07.2026)

2026 DHC 5622 click here to view full text of judgment

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