New Delhi : The Supreme Court has expressed serious concern over the alleged misuse of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in cases involving teenage relationships and elopement.

The court observed that in some situations, the strict child protection law is being used as a tool during family disputes and cases linked to so-called “honour”.

A bench of Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice R. Mahadevan raised important questions while hearing a sensitive matter related to teenage relationships. The bench questioned whether the legal system could actually prevent young boys and girls from leaving their homes due to emotional relationships.

“How can our system stop a boy and a girl from eloping?” the court asked, highlighting the need for a practical approach while dealing with such cases.

The Supreme Court noted that the age group between 15 and 18 years is a highly sensitive phase of life, where teenagers often experience emotional changes and new relationships. However, the court observed that some families, after disagreements with their children over relationships, may file serious criminal cases under POCSO as a form of retaliation.

The bench pointed out that such situations often create legal complications, with courts later having to examine whether the allegations were genuine or whether the law was misused.The observations came while the Supreme Court was examining a controversial earlier decision of the Calcutta High Court. During the hearing, the court was informed that the girl involved in the case had later married the same man and was living a happy family life with a child.

The apex court stressed that while protecting children from sexual offences remains extremely important, there is also a need to address situations where legal provisions may be wrongly applied in consensual teenage relationships.

Court Seeks Practical Guidelines The Supreme Court has indicated that practical guidelines may be required to deal with such sensitive cases. The court is looking for solutions that balance child protection with the realities of teenage relationships and family conflicts.

During the hearing, the Centre informed the court that awareness programmes about the POCSO Act would be introduced for students from Class 6 onwards to educate children about the law, safety, and their rights.

The government also suggested creating a dashboard system to monitor POCSO cases. However, the Supreme Court did not accept the proposal, observing that child rights committees already exist in every High Court and that state governments should strengthen monitoring mechanisms.

The court emphasised that awareness, proper investigation, and responsible handling of cases are essential to ensure that a law created to protect children is not misused.

The matter remains under consideration, with the next hearing scheduled for July 17. The proceedings are expected to further examine how the legal system can protect minors while addressing concerns related to misuse of criminal laws in teenage relationship cases.