Overview

• In Thane, Special POCSO Court judge D S Deshmukh convicted Rameshsingh Vijaybahadur Singh of nonpenetrative sexual assault on an eight-year-old but acquitted him of rape charges for lack of corroborative evidence
• The Thane court sentenced Singh to the seven years and two months he has already served, fined him Rs 1,000 and recommended compensation for the victim under the BNSS through the District Legal Services Authority
• In Delhi, Additional Sessions Judge Ankit Mehta sentenced a 59-year-old step-grandfather to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment after finding him guilty of aggravated sexual assault and related IPC offences against his 10-year-old step-granddaughter
• The Delhi court ordered Rs 3 lakh in compensation to the survivor, citing the prolonged abuse and severe mental trauma she endured
• Both verdicts form part of a broader push since early 2025 toward fast-track POCSO trials, underscoring courts’ strict proof standards and increasing use of formal restitution mechanisms