The Bombay High Court’s Kolhapur bench has transferred the Ratnagiri POCSO case involving the head of a spiritual school to the State CID and ordered a fresh investigation. The court directed a de novo probe, meaning the case will be examined again from the beginning.
According to the available details, the high court stepped in after finding deficiencies in the earlier police investigation. The order was passed under Article 226, highlighting the court’s intervention when it considers a fresh review necessary in the interest of justice.
The case relates to allegations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. By moving the matter to the State CID, the court has shifted the inquiry away from the local police and asked for a renewed look at the evidence and investigative process.
The decision puts the focus on how sensitive criminal cases are handled, especially those involving minors and serious sexual offence allegations. The fresh CID probe is expected to revisit the case in light of the concerns identified by the high court.
