MP PHQ Issues New Guidelines To Determine Age In POCSO Cases After Monalisa Row; Anganwadi Record, Class 10 Marksheet Only Valid Age Proof

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The police heaquarters (PHQ) has issued fresh instructions to all superintendents of police (SPs) to seize Anganwadi registers and Class 10 mark sheets to determine the age of victims in cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The move follows a controversy regarding the age of Monalisa, a girl who gained fame during the Mahakumbh.

On April 8, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) asked the Khargone SP to verify the age of Monalisa, who had married a man in Kerala. Her family had challenged the marriage, claiming she was a minor. Following this, the PHQ delivered detailed instructions to all district SPs and the police commissioners of Bhopal and Indore.

Anil Kumar, Special DG (Women Safety), said the letter cites several decisions of the Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, and instructions have been issued accordingly.

Standard operating procedure

A detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) has been established for all scenarios. If a victim has appeared for the Class 10 board examination, the age recorded in the board certificate will be considered original and the document must be seized.

If the victim dropped out of school, the admission register from the time they joined Class 1 must be seized. If the birth date recorded in Class 1 differs from subsequent school records, the date declared by the parents will be considered final. In such cases, the principal must provide an undertaking regarding the validity of the documents.

Alternative verification

Since 2000, birth records have been maintained at every Anganwadi. Investigating officers have been directed to ask parents about the relevant Anganwadi and seize the documents from there. Birth records can also be sourced from village panchayats.

Additionally, as most births over the last 15 to 20 years have occurred in hospitals, records can be collected from the respective medical facilities. Another method suggested is verifying the marriage date of the parents and the timeline of subsequent deliveries.

Documents not valid for age proof

The instructions clarify that Aadhaar cards, Samagra IDs, passports, ration cards, driving licenses and other such documents are not final proof for age certification. Only school certificates and records are considered final and must be investigated thoroughly before reaching a conclusion.