The petitioners herein are the 8 accused, out of the 15 accused in Crime No. 1145/2015 of Thodupuzha, Police Station, registered for offences punishable under Secs.377 and 34 of the I.P.C. and Secs.3, 4 and 9(g) of the POCSO Act. Since seven accused were juvenile at the time of the incident in question, they were tried before the Juvenile Justice Board, Thodupuzha. After meticulous apprisal of the evidence on record, the Juvenile Justice Board concluded in Anx. A6 judgment that there is no evidence to connect the said co-accused persons with the impugned criminal charges and had accordingly, acquitted the said co-accused juveniles. Since the petitioners did not face trial, the case against the petitioners herein has subsequently been split up and numbered as S.C.No.144/2016 on the file of the First Addl. Sessions Court, Thodupuzha. The petitioners herein have filed the instant criminal case with the prayer for quashment of the impugned criminal proceedings pending against them on the ground that the substratum of the prosecution case has been shattered by the acquittal of the said co-accused persons as per Anx. A6 judgment.
