#adolescent relationships

The Meghalaya High Court quashed a POCSO FIR against a husband after the adolescent couple married and had a child, applying the Wahlang framework to verify the survivor's informed consent and recognize matrilineal customs. The court mandated scheme benefits for the victim and child within eight weeks and ordered judicial monitoring to ensure compliance.

Meghalaya High Court holds that FIRs under the POCSO Act involving consensual adolescent relationships may be quashed under BNSS Section 528 if the victim’s informed consent, marital status, and child welfare considerations are independently verified. The ruling rejects rigid statutory application, emphasizing judicial discretion in cases where no coercion or exploitation is evident.