New Delhi, Aug. 20 -- "Love is not penal, and it cannot become one," the Supreme Court asserted on Tuesday, underlining that young couples, even those just short of attaining majority, must be "left alone" if they have entered into genuine romantic relationships.

A bench of justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan made the remarks while hearing a batch of petitions that sought guidelines to prevent misuse of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in cases where minors engage in consensual relationships.

During the proceedings, the court also dismissed petitions by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the National Commission for Women (NCW) challenging Punjab and Haryana high court orders ...