Madras High Court acquits man sentenced to death in POCSO case

The Madras High Court has acquitted a man named Chandran who had previously been sentenced to death by a Sivaganga POCSO court for the alleged sexual assault of five children. A Division Bench comprising Justices N Anand Venkatesh and KK Ramakrishnan set aside the conviction, stating that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

The court observed that the case illustrated how “draconian statutory provisions can be weaponised” and noted that the POCSO Act, while intended to protect children, can sometimes be used by adults to settle private scores. The judges cited material contradictions in witness accounts, an unexplained delay in filing the complaint, and a lack of objective evidence, such as the failure to recover a mobile phone allegedly used by the children.

Following the ruling, the court directed Chandran’s immediate release unless he is required for other legal matters.