Supreme Court quashes skin-to-skin judgement of Bombay High Court
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed the Bombay High Court verdict which had held that no offence of sexual assault under the POCSO Act is made out if there is no direct skin-to-skin contact between an accused and victim.
A bench headed by Justice U U Lalit set aside the high court judgement, and said the most important ingredient of constituting sexual assault is sexual intent and not skin-to-skin with the child.
Purpose of the law cannot be to allow the offender to escape the meshes of the law, the apex court said.
"We have held that when the legislature has expressed clear intention, the courts cannot create ambiguity in the provision. It is right that courts cannot be overzealous in creating ambiguity," the bench, also comprising Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Bela M Trivedi, said.
The top court, which was hearing separate appeals of Attorney General and the National Commission for women (NCW), had on January 27 stayed the order which had acquitted a man under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act saying groping a minor's breast without 'skin to skin contact' cannot be termed as sexual assault .
The sessions court had sentenced the man to three years of imprisonment for the offences under the POCSO Act as also under IPC section 354. The sentences were to run concurrently.
The high court, however, acquitted him under the POCSO Act while upholding his conviction under IPC section 354.
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PM Modi lauds reduction in tuberculosis incidence in India
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded the reduction in the incidence of tuberculosis in India since 2015, which was twice the global rate of decline and credited it to the expansion of treatment coverage.
India's TB incidence, which refers to new cases emerging each year, reduced by 21 per cent, from 237 per lakh population in 2015 to 187 per lakh population in 2024, according to the World Health Organisation's Global TB Report 2025.
The reduction is almost double the pace of the decline observed globally at 12 per cent, the Health Ministry said.
"India's fight against TB is achieving remarkable momentum. The latest WHO Global tuberculosis report 2025 highlights that India has recorded a commendable reduction in TB incidence since 2015 and it is nearly twice the global rate of decline," Modi said in a post on X.
The Prime Minister said the decline in incidence of TB in India was one of the sharpest drops seen anywhere in the world.
"Equally heartening is the expansion of treatment coverage, the fall in 'missing cases' and the sustained rise in treatment success. I compliment all those who have worked towards achieving this success. We remain committed to ensuring a healthy and fit India," Modi said.
