Madras High Court directs Tamil Nadu to frame guidelines for doctors as witnesses in POCSO cases

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu Health Secretary and Director of Medical Education to issue a comprehensive circular or guidelines to all government health care institutions on the duties and responsibilities of medical professionals appearing as expert witnesses before courts. Justice B. Pugalendhi issued the direction while dismissing petitions filed by Nambu Kaleeswaran and Selvaraj seeking suspension of their 12-year prison sentences. They were convicted in 2023 by a trial court in Ramanathapuram for sexually assaulting an 8-year-old boy in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case. The court noted inconsistencies in the evidence given by the examining doctor, who initially stated that the victim had sustained injuries but later refuted that during cross-examination.