Bhopal, May 28: In a significant judgment, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has overturned a sessions court’s verdict that sentenced Ram Shiromani of Rewa to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment under the POCSO Act for the alleged rape of a minor. The division bench, comprising Justice Vivek Agarwal and Justice Anuradha Shukla, ruled that the prosecution failed to conclusively prove that the girl was a minor at the time of the incident and that the sexual relationship was non-consensual.

Shiromani, in his appeal, claimed the girl was an adult and their physical relationship was consensual. The court noted that the girl had admitted she knew the accused and that no injuries were found during her medical examination. Though the DNA test confirmed intercourse, the court said that consensual sex between adults does not constitute rape under Section 375 of the IPC. Unnatural Sex by Husband With Wife Without Her Consent Not Rape but Punishable Under Section 377: Allahabad High Court.

The state had relied on the girl’s school records, which listed her birth date as January 8, 2006, making her 17 at the time of the incident in March 2023. However, the court observed that this date was not backed by a birth certificate and was merely based on parental input. The girl’s mother and brother also gave conflicting age statements, with the brother stating she was only a year younger than him at 24. Sex With Minor Case: Supreme Court Spares Convict Jail Term After Noting That Victim is Now Married To Him.

Given the inconsistencies in the girl’s age, lack of injury evidence, and her own admission of consensual relations, the High Court acquitted Shiromani, stating the requirements of the POCSO Act and rape charges under IPC were not sufficiently met.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 28, 2025 07:44 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).