Interpreting what constitutes a sexual assault with a minor under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court has ruled that there must be a “skin-to-skin contact” with sexual intent, and mere groping is not sufficient.

A single-judge bench of Justice Pushpa Ganediwala was hearing an appeal against the conviction in a case where the accused had allegedly taken a minor girl to his house under the garb of offering her a guava and pressed her breasts and partially stripped her.

The Wire takes a look at the judgment and the legal considerations surrounding it.

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