COMMON ORDER

The criminal prosecutions initiated against the Chairman of the Child Welfare Committee, Kannur in S.C No.466/2021 and S.C No.467/2021 on the files of the Additional Sessions Court-I, Thalassery are under challenge in these petitions filed under Section 482 Cr.P.C by the accused in those cases.

2. The allegation against the petitioner is that during the course of his interaction with two minor girls who were allegedly kidnapped by their uncle, he uttered sexually explicit words and thus resorted to sexual harassment punishable under Section 354A (1)(iv) I.P.C and Section 11 r/w Section 12 of the POCSO Act, 2012.

3. The two minor girls, who are direct sisters, were remaining under the care and protection of their father after the separation of their father and mother, for the past five years due to matrimonial discord. The mother of the above children is said to be working abroad. While so, the above girls wanted to shift their residence to their m