Hearing of 35 Cases Under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO)

Mumbai : The Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights conducted a hearing under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for 35 cases involving child sexual abuse complaints received under the Act. The hearing was held at Worli as part of the commission’s work to ensure the protection of children from sexual offenses and to uphold their right to free and compulsory education.

The cases primarily consisted of complaints under the POCSO Act. Senior police officers from police stations in Mumbai city and suburbs, members of the Child Welfare Committee, District Women and Child Development Officers, District Child Protection Officers, and officials and representatives from the Education Department and schools were present during the hearing.

In almost all the cases under review, the police had filed charge sheets on time. The commission appreciated the timely action taken by the police in these cases. These cases are currently pending in court. Additionally, the commission noted that in several cases, complainants had filed false complaints without valid reasons. To address this issue, the commission plans to issue guidelines and recommendations soon, which will help prevent the misuse of the law and ensure that time is not wasted.

The hearing was attended by the President of the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Adv. Sushiben Shah, commission members Adv. Shri Sanjay Sengar, Adv. Nilima Chavan, Sayli Palkhedkar, and Adv. Pragya Khosare.

As the hearing mainly dealt with POCSO Act cases, Special Police Inspector Sara Abhyankar from the Women and Child Abuse Prevention Department, Mumbai, was also present at the hearing, representing the department.