Supreme Court Bars Retrospective Harsher Punishment Under POCSO

The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction of the appellant for sexually assaulting a five-year-old under Section 6 of the POCSO Act but modified the sentence. 

The Court ruled that imposing the amended punishment of “Imprisonment for the remainder of natural life,” introduced after the offense date (May 20, 2019) and effective from August 16, 2019, violated Article 20(1) of the Constitution, which bars the imposition of retrospective harsher penalties. 

Consequently, the Court set aside the enhanced sentence and imposed rigorous imprisonment for life under the unamended provision, maintaining a fine of ₹10,000.

[Saturam Mandavi  v. The State of Chhattisgarh & Anrs.]