New Delhi, March 26 -- Terming it as "shocking", the Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed a controversial order of the Allahabad High Court which said that acts such as 'grabbing the breasts of a minor girl, breaking the string of her pyjama and attempting to drag her beneath a culvert' do not amount to the offence of attempt to rape.
The High Court, in its order on March 17, 2025, had observed that such acts would, prima facie, constitute the offence of 'aggravated sexual assault' under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which carries a lesser punishment.
The High Court bench of Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra had given the judgement in a matter related to an assault on an 11-year-old girl by two accused - Pawan...