Chennai: The Madras high court has observed that the only methodology which can put an end to the offences relating to minor girl eloping with a major boy, is that “parents should spend more time with their children. Spending time with the children is more important than spending money on children”.
The court made the observation while granting conditional bail to a 22-year-old youth, arrested under the provisions of IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act on July 9, 2016, since the 17-year-old girl, who eloped with him confessed that he took her on her compulsion.
The prosecution case was that the boy kidnapped the girl in the pretext of marrying her and had physical relationship with her. The judge said the statement of the victim girl revealed that she voluntarily eloped with the boy stating that she will consume poison if he does not take her with him, as her parents were vigorously searching an alliance for her.
Though Pocso Act was enacted to curb sexual atrocities against minor girls and children, it was disheartening to note that minor girls in the age group of 12 to 17, elope with their boy friends due to infatuation and finally get caught by police.
Ultimately, it was not only the girl, who was victimised, the boy with whom she elopes becomes victim in the eye of law. In this case, the boy took the girl with him only on her compulsion and resultantly, he was now behind the bars, the judge added. The judge said the underlying cause of offences of this type was the media.
Media teaches both good and bad. In movies, a teenage boy runs behind a teenage school going girl with an intention to propose love to her and children, by all means try to imitate the same in reality. Since children are not able to distinguish good and bad, and bad things easily induce them, they fall prey to it, the judge added.
Another reason for the distance being maintained by the children towards their parents is that both the parents are employed and they are not able to spend quality time with their children. Due to the setting up of nuclear families, grandparents are sent to old-age homes and the children are left with none to look after them.
Taking note of the statement of the girl and also the period of incarceration of the petitioner, this court is of the view that custodial interrogation is not required at this stage. Accordingly, the petitioner is ordered to be released on conditional bail, the judge added.
