The Delhi High Court has quashed a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act after the survivor and her family expressed a desire to put the incident behind them and move forward, citing concerns over her future prospects, including marriage.

The case involved allegations that the accused, a senior at the survivor’s school, along with another minor boy, had blackmailed her using private images she had shared during their relationship. It was further alleged that the images were later shared with another schoolmate, who then hacked her Instagram account and uploaded the photos online. The FIR was registered under IPC Sections 354, 354C, 384, 506, 509, and 34, along with Section 12 of the POCSO Act.

Justice Sanjeev Narula, who presided over the matter, noted that while such allegations are serious and typically would not warrant quashing, the court was persuaded by the survivor and her mother’s repeated and considered request to close the case. They stated that the ongoing criminal proceedings were adversely affecting the survivor’s personal life and her family’s efforts to find a suitable matrimonial alliance.

“The facts narrated disclose a pattern emblematic of the darker undercurrents of the social media age, where technology is misused to exert control, induce fear, and compromise dignity,” the court observed. It also acknowledged that the family had not received or sought any monetary compensation from the accused.

The court emphasized that while many of the offences in the case are non-compoundable, the legal system also recognizes the victim’s right to dignity, privacy, and closure. Citing its inherent powers under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (formerly Section 482 CrPC), the court held that in appropriate cases, proceedings may be quashed when both parties have voluntarily settled the matter and continued prosecution would serve no useful purpose.

As part of the conditions for quashing the FIR, the accused has been directed to perform one month of community service at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital and to deposit ₹50,000 with the Army Welfare Fund Battle Casualties.