The Delhi High Court has urged a debate on whether teenage love should be classified as a crime. The court made this statement while granting bail to a 22-year-old man accused in a POCSO case. Justice Subramaniam Prasad noted that many cases involve girls over 17 years old running away with boys of their choice. Parents often pressure them to change their statements after the couple is caught.
Contradictory Statements in POCSO Cases
Justice Prasad highlighted that girls’ statements under Section 164 of the CrPC often contradict earlier statements under Section 161. In this case, the girl initially admitted to willingly going with the accused. Later, she claimed she was held hostage and forced into marriage.
Need for Clarity on Teenage Relationships
The girl’s father had filed an FIR, accusing the man of misleading his daughter. She initially said she left voluntarily and lived with him in Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. After 23 days, she changed her statement, claiming she was threatened and forced to marry him. The court noted significant changes in her second statement and questioned whether such adolescent relationships should be treated as crimes.
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