Delhi HC to examine all cases decided by trial court judge under POCSO Act

The Delhi High Court, while hearing an appeal against the decision of a trial court judge in a case under the POCSO Act, has decided to examine all the previous decisions rendered by the judge..The Court agreed with the submission made by the Additional Public Prosecutor Rajat Katyal and observed that a prima facie reading of the impugned judgment gave the impression that it borders on perversity..Sunil Chaudhary, who serves as the Additional Sessions Judge at the Saket Courts in New Delhi, had rendered the impugned judgment while acquitting a man who was accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 10-year-old in 2010..The Court stated that the situation demands that all decisions rendered by Chaudhary while discharging functions as the Additional Sessions Judge in cases under the POCSO Act, be examined..The Division Bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and PS Teji observed that,.“We have come across several decisions rendered by the same learned Judge in cases under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and they all, prima-facie, appear to be laconic. There is a fundamental and serious error in the approach of the learned Judge in deciding the cases which have come to our notice.” .The Court went on to reproduce the particulars of other cases decided by the judge and directed the District & Sessions Judge, South-East District to place before it all the decisions rendered by ASJ Sunil Chaudhary in cases under POCSO Act, for examination under Section 397/ 401 Cr.P.C. .Read Order: