'Skin-to-skin' contact not needed for sexual assault under POCSO Act: SC

The Supreme Court set aside a judgment of the Bombay High Court while observing that 'skin-to-skin' contact was not necessary for the offence of sexual assault under POCSO.

The Supreme Court set aside a judgment of the Bombay High Court that held that "skin-to-skin" contact was necessary for the offence of sexual assault under the POCSO Act.

A bench of Justices UU Lalit, S Ravindra Bhat and Bela Trivedi said restricting the meaning of "touch" to "skin-to-skin" contact would lead to "narrow and absurd interpretation" and destroy the intent of the Act, which was enacted to protect children from sexual offences.