New Delhi, Nov 23 A Delhi court has directed a woman to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh for filing a false complaint alleging sexual assault on her five-year-old daughter.
Additional Sessions Judge Susheel Bala Dagar noted that the woman misused the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to settle a property dispute.
The court expressed strong disapproval, stating that the woman had filed the false complaint out of anger to shield herself from daily quarrels, aiming to "extort property" from the accused.
The fabricated complaint led to the accused's humiliation and defamation, with the court noting that such misuse of POCSO Act is becoming frequent, driven by land disputes, marriage issues, personal grudges, political motives, or personal gain.
Labeling it a "blatant abuse of the law", the court stressed the importance of a vigilant stance against false allegations, noting the need to prevent such acts from undermining justice for both victims and alleged perpetrators.
The judgement underscored the observation that misuse of stringent legislations, including the POCSO Act, has been a prevalent issue in the legal system.
The court invoked Section 22 of the POCSO Act, which addresses punishment for false complaints or false information, to ensure that legislation is not misused.
In this case, the woman was found to have misused the POCSO Act instead of exploring alternative remedies for her alleged property dispute.
The judge imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the complainant to be paid within one month. In the event of default in payment, the woman would undergo simple imprisonment for three months.
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