Hyderabad Court Convicts Woman for Tutoring Son in False POCSO Case

A Hyderabad court has convicted a 40-year-old woman under the POCSO Act for tutoring her four-and-a-half-year-old son to make false allegations of sexual assault against his father. The court sentenced her to six months of imprisonment but released her on probation for two years on the condition of maintaining peace and good behaviour.

The case dates back to January 2018, when the woman lodged a complaint with the Osmania University police alleging that her husband, his brother, and household staff had sexually assaulted her son. Police later submitted a final report to the court stating that the case lacked evidence.

Following the police report, the husband filed a complaint against his wife, accusing her of lodging a false case, fabricating evidence, misusing the law, and traumatising the child to settle domestic disputes. He informed the court that the couple had been living separately since January 2018 and that she had previously approached the Karkhana police with similar allegations, where no case was registered.

During the investigation, the child was examined at the Bharosa Centre on February 3, 2018. A paediatric surgeon found no obvious external injuries and referred the child for a forensic evaluation. The forensic medical examination found no signs of recent sexual assault and concluded that collecting swabs was unnecessary given the absence of injuries or stains.

During the trial, the court observed that the woman showed a tendency to file false cases to settle marital disputes and had dragged the child into them, causing him harm. The court concluded that the boy had been tutored to level allegations against his father and convicted her under Section 22(1) of the POCSO Act for providing false information.

Seeking leniency, the woman's counsel submitted that the child, now aged 13 to 14, is in shared custody between both parents for three to four days a week and could no longer be tutored. Accepting the plea, the court granted relief under Section 4 of the Probation of Offenders Act. She was directed to execute a personal bond of Rs 25,000 with one surety and refrain from committing similar offences during the two-year period.