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Supreme Court of India· 24 September 2026

Does the expert-evaluation safeguard apply where a Special Court decides whether to take cognizance of a private complaint under the POCSO Act?

'R' v. 'E' & Anr
2026 INSC 1049 · CIVIL APPEAL NO.13119 OF 2026
Coram: Justice J.B. Pardiwala · Justice K. V. Viswanathan
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Answer

The same expert-evaluation safeguard applies where a Special Court decides whether to take cognizance of a private POCSO complaint where a matrimonial dispute exists.

Yes. Under the POCSO Act, Section 33 empowers the Special Court to take cognizance of a complaint of facts directly, without a police report first. Where the threshold conditions are met, the Special Court shall, before deciding whether to take cognizance and issue process, likewise involve a child and adolescent psychiatry or clinical psychology expert to evaluate the child, and take that report into consideration along with other relevant circumstances.

Headnote

Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 — s.22 — s.33 — Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 — s.35 — False allegations in matrimonial disputes — Arrest safeguard — Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 — s.35 BNSS — Arrest safeguard — Expert evaluation — Held: Where an offence under the POCSO Act is alleged against a parent living with the child where a matrimonial dispute exists between the parents, the investigating officer must engage a child psychiatry or psychology expert to evaluate the child before forming "reason to believe" for arrest under Section 35 of the BNSS. (¶48, 60) Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 — s.33 — Special Court cognizance — Same safeguard — Held further: The same safeguard applies where a Special Court is deciding whether to take cognizance of a private complaint under Section 33 of the POCSO Act in like circumstances. (¶64, 70) Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 — Custody proceedings — Registration not proof — Held further: Mere registration of a case under the POCSO Act does not by itself prove the allegation true or defeat a parent's legitimate claim to custody; the court must independently assess whether the allegation is baseless. FIR quashed as an abuse of process; legal custody of the child to rest with Father-'R'. (¶76, 79)

Headnote

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In the Court's own words
Paragraph 64We may also address ourselves on the manner in which the aforesaid safeguard would come into application in case a complaint made under Section 33 of the POCSO Act before the Special Court. Section 33 of the POCSO Act empowers the Special Court to take cognizance through two modes: (i) upon receiving of the complaint of facts which constitute such offence; and (ii) upon a police report of such facts. It is the first mode with which we are concerned here.
Paragraph 70The safeguards discussed by us in the foregoing paragraphs comes into application when the Special Court is dealing with a complaint where the threshold conditions are met, and it has to decide whether cognizance should be taken and summons be issued to the accused. Similarly, it is at this stage that the Special Court shall involve the services of an expert in child and adolescent psychiatry/clinical psychology. Such an expert shall conduct psychiatric/psychological evaluation of the child victim and submit a report to the Special Court detailing the results of such evaluation. The Special Court shall take into consideration such report and other relevant circumstances and form an opinion on whether there are sufficient grounds for 65 proceeding with the complaint. However, in exceptional cases, where the material is palpable, the special Court may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, dispense with the involvement of the services of an expert in child and adolescent psychiatry/psychology.
Acts & Sections
s.10 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012s.22 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012s.33 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012s.35 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023s.25 Guardians and Wards Act, 1890

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Also decided in this judgment
Must an investigating officer obtain a psychiatric evaluation of the child before arresting a parent for an alleged POCSO offence where a matrimonial dispute exists?Does mere registration of a case under the POCSO Act by itself prove the allegation true or defeat a parent's claim to custody?
Plain-language answer prepared by the LexStreak Editorial Desk — verify against the judgment. Source: Supreme Court of India. Corrections