A Delhi court upheld the conviction of a man who masturbated next to a woman inside a Delhi Metro coach, stressing the need for stronger safety measures for women in public transport. The court said such incidents in crowded spaces cause serious psychological trauma and violate a woman’s sense of privacy and security.
A Delhi court has upheld the conviction of a man who was found masturbating next to a woman inside a Delhi Metro coach, stressing the urgent need to ensure better safety for women using public transport in the national capital.
The decision was delivered by Additional Sessions Judge Hargurvarinder Singh Jaggi of the Saket Courts while dismissing an appeal filed by the accused, Mohd Tahir. Tahir had challenged the order of the trial court which had earlier convicted him under Sections 354 (acts intended to outrage a woman’s modesty) and 354A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code.
While delivering the judgment, the court placed the case in the larger context of gender equality and women’s safety in public spaces. The judge began the order by referring to the importance of recognising women’s rights and the need for continued efforts to make public spaces safer for them.
“On March 8th of every year, International Women’s Day is celebrated across the globe, to mark and rejoice in the accomplishments of women in different spheres of life, and to create awareness that a lot more is yet to be done to bring in gender equality, opportunity, recognition,”
the Court said.
The court further noted that the trial court had correctly highlighted the safety concerns faced by women commuters in the Delhi Metro. According to the judge, incidents of harassment in crowded public transport can cause serious distress and insecurity among women passengers.
The judge also examined the circumstances of the incident and pointed out that the offence occurred inside a moving metro train. The victim had to use the emergency response system to alert authorities about the situation.
“The fact that the incident took place on a moving metro, where the victim had to press an emergency button to seek help, underscores the robust security measures and a swift, effective response mechanism in place within the metro system,”
the judge noted.
At the same time, the court emphasised that existing safety measures alone are not enough and that stronger institutional efforts are still required to ensure women feel secure while travelling.
“However, much more needs to be done.”
The court also discussed the wider impact such incidents have on women who travel in crowded public spaces like metro trains, buses and other public transport systems. The judge observed that such acts go beyond physical misconduct and deeply affect the victim’s mental well-being and sense of safety.
“The Trial Court, in its order on sentence, rightly observed that offences against women, especially those committed in a public space like a crowded metro, cause not only physical but also deep psychological trauma, violating the victim’s sense of privacy and security.”
The case dates back to March 27, 2021, when the complainant was travelling in a Delhi Metro train on the Yellow Line between Saket and Hauz Khas stations. According to the prosecution, Mohd Tahir stood next to the woman and began masturbating while staring at her. It was also alleged that he touched the complainant during the incident.
Feeling unsafe and distressed, the woman pressed the emergency button installed inside the metro coach to alert the authorities. Following the alert, the accused was detained and later handed over to the police. An FIR was subsequently registered at the INA Metro Police Station.
The trial court, presided over by Judicial Magistrate First Class Chhaya Tyagi, convicted Tahir on May 24, 2025. He was sentenced to one year of imprisonment and directed to pay a fine of ₹10,000.
During the appeal before the sessions court, Tahir’s defence raised several objections regarding the evidence presented in the case. The defence argued that the alleged incident had taken place during peak rush hour inside the metro coach, yet no independent public witnesses were examined by the prosecution. It was also argued that CCTV footage from the metro coach was not produced during the trial.
In addition, the defence highlighted alleged discrepancies in the statements of the complainant regarding the metro station where both the accused and the victim had got down after the incident.
However, the sessions court rejected these arguments and held that such discrepancies were minor and did not weaken the overall credibility of the victim’s account.
“The confusion about the names of the Metro Station on the part of the complainant as flagged by the appellant is a red herring argument.”
After examining the record and the findings of the trial court, the sessions court concluded that there was no valid reason to interfere with the conviction or the sentence imposed.
Advocate Anand Kumar Pandey represented the accused Mohd Tahir in the appeal proceedings. The State was represented by Additional Public Prosecutor Santosh Kumar, while Advocate Meghna Mukherjee appeared for the complainant.
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