📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Aiban-03
Crime
Meghalaya High Court releases man jailed under POCSO after letter dated post‑FIR found
✍️ Hub News
🗓 17 Sep 2026, 12:01 PM
👁 30
The Meghalaya High Court ordered the release of a man convicted under the POCSO Act after discovering a letter that was dated after the FIR, raising doubts about the evidence.
The Meghalaya High Court has granted bail to a man who was serving a sentence under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The petitioner had been convicted earlier and was incarcerated pending appeal.
During the hearing, the court examined a letter submitted by the prosecution that was dated after the First Information Report (FIR) was lodged. The timing discrepancy prompted the bench to question the authenticity and relevance of the document as evidence.
Finding that the post‑FIR letter could have compromised the fairness of the trial, the judges ordered the immediate release of the accused and directed that the matter be remanded for further scrutiny by the trial court.
Legal experts noted that the decision underscores the judiciary's vigilance in ensuring procedural correctness, especially in sensitive POCSO cases where evidentiary standards are critical.
During the hearing, the court examined a letter submitted by the prosecution that was dated after the First Information Report (FIR) was lodged. The timing discrepancy prompted the bench to question the authenticity and relevance of the document as evidence.
Finding that the post‑FIR letter could have compromised the fairness of the trial, the judges ordered the immediate release of the accused and directed that the matter be remanded for further scrutiny by the trial court.
Legal experts noted that the decision underscores the judiciary's vigilance in ensuring procedural correctness, especially in sensitive POCSO cases where evidentiary standards are critical.