The Supreme Court of India acquitted a man convicted under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and Section 363 of the IPC, ruling that statutory presumptions of guilt are not absolute.
Case Overview: Deepak (in JC) v. State (Govt. of NCT of Delhi)
• Date of Judgment: September 17, 2026
• Bench: Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice N.V. Anjaria
• Previous Rulings: Set aside the conviction and sentence upheld by the Delhi High Court (originating from a 2015 South Delhi case).
Key Legal Rulings
• Presumption Not Absolute: Sections 29 and 30 of the POCSO Act (reverse burden of proof) do not relieve the prosecution of its primary duty to establish foundational facts beyond a reasonable doubt.
• Scrutiny of Evidence: Courts must independently examine the evidence and cannot mechanically rely on statutory presumptions when the prosecution’s story suffers from material contradictions or lack of corroboration.
• Rebuttal of Guilt: Once an accused exposes significant inconsistencies, the statutory presumption of guilt loses its legal effectiveness.
Aspect Details
Acts Involved POCSO Act (Section 6) & IPC (Section 363)
Trial Sentence 10 years rigorous imprisonment (POCSO) + 1 year (Section 363)
Outcome Conviction set aside; appellant acquitted
कानूनी जागरूकता के लिए
भारत के सर्वोच्च न्यायालय ने POCSO Act की धारा 6 और IPC की धारा 363 के तहत दोषसिद्ध एक व्यक्ति को बरी कर दिया। न्यायालय ने स्पष्ट किया कि POCSO Act की धारा 29 और 30 में दी गई कानूनी धारणा (Statutory Presumption) अपने आप में दोषसिद्धि का आधार नहीं बन सकती।
मामले का नाम
Deepak (in JC) v. State (Govt. of NCT of Delhi)
• निर्णय की तारीख: 17 सितंबर 2026
• पीठ: न्यायमूर्ति प्रशांत कुमार मिश्रा एवं न्यायमूर्ति एन.वी. अंजारिया
• मामले की पृष्ठभूमि: यह मामला वर्ष 2015 के दक्षिण दिल्ली के एक मामले से संबंधित था। ट्रायल कोर्ट की दोषसिद्धि और उसके बाद दिल्ली हाई कोर्ट द्वारा बरकरार रखी गई सजा को सर्वोच्च न्यायालय ने निरस्त कर दिया।
सुप्रीम कोर्ट की प्रमुख कानूनी बातें
1. धारा 29 और 30 की धारणा पूर्ण नहीं है
POCSO Act की धारा 29 और 30 के तहत अभियुक्त के विरुद्ध कानूनी धारणा लागू होने के बावजूद, अभियोजन पक्ष को पहले अपराध के आवश्यक मूलभूत तथ्यों (Foundational Facts) को विश्वसनीय साक्ष्य से स्थापित करना होता है।
2. केवल Presumption के आधार पर दोषसिद्धि नहीं
अदालत अभियोजन के साक्ष्य की स्वतंत्र रूप से जांच करेगी। यदि अभियोजन की कहानी में महत्वपूर्ण विरोधाभास, असंगतियां या पर्याप्त corroboration का अभाव हो, तो केवल statutory presumption के आधार पर दोषसिद्धि नहीं की जा सकती।
3. अभियुक्त को प्रभावी बचाव का अधिकार
यदि बचाव पक्ष अभियोजन के महत्वपूर्ण साक्ष्यों में गंभीर विरोधाभास या कमियां सामने लाता है, तो अदालत को उन कमियों का स्वतंत्र रूप से मूल्यांकन करना होगा।
मामले का सार
पहलू विवरण
लागू कानून POCSO Act धारा 6 एवं IPC धारा 363
ट्रायल कोर्ट की सजा POCSO के तहत 10 वर्ष का कठोर कारावास + IPC धारा 363 के तहत 1 वर्ष
बाद की स्थिति दिल्ली हाई कोर्ट ने दोषसिद्धि/सजा को बरकरार रखा था
सुप्रीम कोर्ट का निर्णय दोषसिद्धि और सजा निरस्त
अंतिम परिणाम अपीलकर्ता बरी
सबसे महत्वपूर्ण Legal Awareness Point
“POCSO में Presumption है, लेकिन Presumption का मतलब Automatic Conviction नहीं है।”
अदालत को पहले यह देखना होता है कि अभियोजन ने अपने मामले के मूलभूत तथ्यों को विश्वसनीय और कानूनी रूप से स्वीकार्य साक्ष्य से स्थापित किया है या नहीं।
यह सामग्री केवल कानूनी जागरूकता एवं शैक्षणिक उद्देश्य के लिए है। किसी विशेष मामले में तथ्य, साक्ष्य और लागू कानून के आधार पर स्वतंत्र कानूनी सलाह आवश्यक है।
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