#Minimum Sentence

Bombay High Court rules that imposing the enhanced 20-year minimum sentence under the 2019 POCSO Act amendment for offences committed in 2016 violates the prohibition on retrospective punishment. The court suspended the sentence, emphasizing that the original 10-year minimum applies to pre-amendment crimes, impacting pending appeals and sentencing reviews nationwide.

Calcutta High Court holds that Section 4 of the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958 overrides minimum sentencing under Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act after 41 years.