10-Year Sentence Upheld in Minor Elopement Case, Consent of 16-Year-Old Held Legally Irrelevant Under POCSO: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court at Goa has upheld the conviction of Shobhit Kumar, a 34-year-old man, for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl. The case originated when the victim’s mother reported her missing from a construction site in Curca, Goa, on December 11, 2021. The girl had gone out saying she wanted to buy a balm and a cold drink but never returned. The complaint was initially registered against…