Overview
- A Palghar sessions court on Friday, Aug. 7 sentenced Pramul (Pramod Ratna Ghoshe) to death for the 2021 rape and murder of a nine‑year‑old, citing extreme brutality and DNA and weapon recovery as key evidence.
- Several special POCSO and sessions courts across Maharashtra and Telangana issued heavy terms this week, including 20 years in Latur, 10‑year terms in Hyderabad, Pimpri‑Chinchwad and Vikhroli, and other multi‑year sentences for crimes dating from 2017–2022.
- Nagpur investigators say the 19–20‑year‑old accused in the Dinghori case is hospitalised under judicial custody after complaining of chest pain and that police allege he attempted self‑harm while his lawyer alleges custodial assault.
- Police raided the accused’s Thane home and seized a cache of sharp weapons, a laptop, a spare phone and large quantities of condoms and sex toys; officials say those items and digital data will undergo forensic and cyber analysis to corroborate the probe.
- The cases show courts repeatedly invoking POCSO’s statutory presumption that minors cannot consent and leaning on witness testimony, medical and DNA reports and digital forensics to secure convictions, a trend that could speed tougher prosecutions and greater use of cyber‑and‑FSL evidence in future child‑sex cases.