2 min readNew DelhiFeb 18, 2026 05:14 AM IST
The Supreme Court has asked the Director of National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, Justice Aniruddha Bose, to constitute a “committee of experts” to prepare a comprehensive report on developing “guidelines to inculcate sensitivity and compassion into judges and judicial processes in the context of sexual offences and other vulnerable cases”.
A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria said the committee “shall consider the previous measures undertaken, whether on the judicial side or the administrative side, to achieve such goals, as well as the varying results seen on the ground through the implementation of such measures”.
It added that “these recommendations shall be in the form of ‘draft guidelines for the approach of judges and the judicial system when dealing with cases of sexual offences and other similarly sensitive occurrences involving vulnerable victims, complainants, and/or witnesses’.”
As per the February 10 order which was made available Monday, the committee of experts “shall be presided over by Justice Bose as chairperson and shall comprise four other domain experts”.
The need for setting up the committee arose as the SC was hearing a matter in which it had taken suo motu cognisance of a May 17, 2025 Allahabad HC order modifying the order of summons dated March 26, 2023 issued by the Special Judge (POCSO), Kasganj, to two accused in a 2022 case lodged by a mother accusing them of attempting to rape her minor daughter.
While the trial court had issued summons under Section 376 IPC (rape) read with Section 18 of POCSO Act (attempt to commit offence), the HC revised the same to be under a lesser charge under Sections 354(b) IPC (assault or use of criminal force to a woman with intent to disrobe), read with Section 9/10 (aggravated sexual assault) of POCSO Act.
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