2.CRPILNo.52021corrected.docx

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION NO.5 OF 2021

Arjun Kishanrao Malge.

...

Petitioner

versus

1. State of Maharashtra

2. Director General of Police

3. Maharashtra State Commission for

Protection of Child Rights.

... Respondents

…..

Mr.Somasekhar Sundaresan with Ms.Saziya Mukadam & Ms.Kanchi

Trivedi, for the Petitioner.

Mr.Deepak Thakre, Government Pleader & Smt.P.P.Shinde, APP, for the

State.

Mr.Wesley Menezes with Mr.Waqar Nasir Pathan, Mr.Rajdeep Lahri, for

Respondent No.3.

…..

CORAM :- DIPANKAR DATTA, CJ &

G. S. KULKARNI, J.

RESERVED ON :-MARCH 17, 2021.

PRONOUNCED ON :- APRIL 08, 2021

JUDGEMENT (Per. G.S.Kulkarni,J.) :

1.

The petitioner who is a social worker, working with child

victims of sexual abuse and their families, across Mumbai and who is

also performing the role as a support person in child sexual abuse cases

in cases before the Child Welfare Committee, is before the Court pro

bono publico, raising issues in regard to the rights of the children to

participate in the trial of offences under the Protection of Children

from Sexual Offences Act (for short ‘the POCSO