Tripura High Court Modifies POCSO Conviction Due To Lack Of Penetration Proof

The Tripura High Court has ruled that a failure to prove penetrative sexual assault requires modifying a conviction under Section 6 of the POCSO Act. A <b>Division Bench</b> noted that the evidence only established physical contact with sexual intent without penetration. The Court converted the conviction to an offence under <b>Section 7</b>, punishable under Section 8 of the POCSO Act. Consequently, the Court reduced the accused person's sentence from twenty years to five years of rigorous imprisonment. The prosecution had alleged that the accused entered a minor victim's house on May 6, 2021, and committed the assault. The <b>matter is under judicial review</b> as the court recalibrated the legal provisions based on the established evidence.