Shillong, August 14: The Meghalaya High Court has quashed an FIR and the subsequent POCSO proceedings against Readvson Rymbai after taking into account the circumstances of the case, including that the petitioner and the survivor have been living together as husband and wife, have a child and that the survivor had no objection to the proceedings being quashed.
The order was passed on August 12 by Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere in Criminal Petition No. 96 of 2026.
The petition was filed under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), seeking quashing of Khliehriat Women Police Station Case No. 26(6) of 2023 and the related Special POCSO Case No. 6 of 2024 pending before the Special Judge (POCSO), East Jaintia Hills District.
According to the court order, the plea for quashing was based on the contention that the petitioner and the survivor had been in a consensual relationship and had been living together as husband and wife with the consent of their respective families.
The High Court had earlier directed the couple to appear before the Secretary of the High Court Legal Services Committee to ascertain, among other things, whether the survivor’s consent was informed and whether she and her child had received benefits under any State or Central government schemes.
The report submitted to the court stated that the petitioner is 27 years old and works as a daily-wage labourer, while the survivor is now 21 and has no independent income. The couple is living together with their 10-month-old son, and both families have accepted their relationship.
Taking these circumstances into consideration, along with an earlier High Court judgment dealing with adolescent consensual relationships, the court held that there was no impediment to allowing the petition since the survivor had no objection to the quashing of the FIR and proceedings. The FIR and Special POCSO Case were accordingly quashed and set aside.
The court, however, reiterated that quashing POCSO cases by consent must be considered with care and caution and only in exceptional circumstances, taking into account factors such as the age of the parties, whether consent is informed and free from coercion, and the social security of the survivor and any child born from the relationship.
The High Court also directed the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO), East Jaintia Hills, and the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to ensure that the survivor and her child receive all applicable benefits under State and Central government schemes. These include schemes relating to POCSO survivors, child protection, victim compensation, health insurance, maternal and child health, education and legal services.
The court further directed that the survivor be provided vocational training in a course of her choice. The matter has been kept for recording compliance with these directions on October 9, 2026.
The judgment also referred to the need for the State Government to create greater awareness about the provisions and punishments under the POCSO Act, including in schools, colleges and remote areas of Meghalaya.
