The Kerala High Court has made the decision to quash legal proceedings against a man accused of offenses under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, 2012, citing the marriage between the accused and the victim as the basis for its decision. The High Court’s order stated that the accused and the victim are currently living together as husband and wife, rendering the continuation of the prosecution against the petitioner pointless.
The accused was alleged to have sexually assaulted the victim while she was in Plus Two class, initially picking her up from school in his car and engaging in inappropriate conduct. Subsequently, it was claimed that he had raped her after she reached the age of majority. However, the accused and the victim were reported to have married in June 2023, prompting the court to exercise its jurisdiction to quash the proceedings, deeming them unnecessary.