The Supreme Court of India has rejected an appeal filed by Arjun Sonar, who was convicted under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. Sonar had received a sentence of 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for aggravated penetrating sexual assault on an 11-year-old minor girl. His initial conviction by a Special Judge and subsequent appeal dismissal by the Gauhati High Court were upheld. The apex court noted that the paramount consideration in such cases is the integrity of the survivor’s testimony, not the convenience of the accused. The bench further stated that the plea, which contended a denial of effective legal assistance, was insufficient to reopen the trial, especially given the victim’s consistent statements throughout the proceedings.
Source: https://www.news18.com/india/survivors-of-child-abuse-not-to-be-re-traumatised-sc-rejects-convicts-plea-in-pocso-case-ws-kl-9619706.html