Today, On 25th March, The Supreme Court initiated a suo motu case against the Allahabad High Court’s ruling that grabbing a minor’s breasts does not amount to an attempt to rape. This move comes after a Bench of Justices Bela Trivedi and Prasanna B Varale had earlier refused to entertain a PIL challenging the same order on March 24. The decision has sparked legal and public debate on child protection laws. The SC’s intervention is expected to bring further clarity on the issue.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has taken the initiative to open a suo motu case to review a contentious order from the Allahabad High Court. This order stated that actions such as grabbing a child victim’s breasts, breaking the string of her pyjama, and attempting to drag her under a culvert do not amount to rape or an attempt to rape.
The suo motu case, titled “In Re: Order dated 17.03.2025 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad in Criminal Revision No. 1449/2024 and Ancillary Issues,” will be examined by a bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and Augustine George Masih.
Notably, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Bela Trivedi and Prasanna B. Varale declined to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) petition challenging the Allahabad High Court’s order on March 24.
The controversial remarks from the Allahabad High Court were made on March 17 while modifying a summoning order. The High Court revised the charges against two accused individuals, who were initially summoned to face trial under Section 376 of the IPC (Rape) and Section 18 (Punishment for attempt to commit an offence) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Instead, the High Court directed that the accused be tried under the lesser charge of Section 354-B IPC (assault or use of criminal force with intent to disrobe), in addition to Sections 9 and 10 of the POCSO Act (aggravated sexual assault).
In this context, Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra stated,
“The allegation against accused Pawan and Akash is that they grabbed the breasts of the victim and Akash tried to bring down the lower garment of the victim, and for that purpose, they had broken the string of her lower garments and attempted to drag her beneath the culvert. However, due to the intervention of witnesses, they left the victim and fled the scene. This fact is not sufficient to draw the inference that the accused had intended to commit rape on the victim, as no other actions are attributed to them that would support such an alleged desire.”
In this regard, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi has strongly criticized a recent judgment by the Allahabad High Court.
In her reaction, Ms. Devi labeled the ruling as “wrong” and urged the Supreme Court to take notice of the issue. She cautioned that “such a judgment would send a wrong message to society.”
Earlier, senior advocate Shobha Gupta has penned a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), urging him to take suo motu cognizance of the issue.
In her letter, Gupta stated that “the judge’s interpretation is completely incorrect and demonstrates an insensitive and irresponsible approach to the issue.
Gupta expressed that this ruling has profoundly unsettled her understanding of the law and left her feeling broken after reading news reports about it. She urged the CJI to address the matter from both an administrative and judicial standpoint.
The case involved Pawan and Akash, who were accused of assaulting an 11-year-old girl in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh, by grabbing her breasts, breaking her pyjama string, and attempting to drag her under a culvert.
The accused fled the scene after being interrupted by passers-by.
The incident, which occurred in 2021, began when the accused offered the child a lift. Initially, the Kasganj trial court had directed that Pawan and Akash face charges under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code for rape and Section 18 of the POCSO Act.
However, a bench led by Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra of the Allahabad High Court ruled that the accused should be tried under Section 354-B IPC (assault or use of criminal force with intent to disrobe) along with Sections 9/10 of the POCSO Act (aggravated sexual assault).
Counsel for one of the defendants also contended that at the stage of framing charges, the trial court is not expected to thoroughly evaluate the evidence and materials gathered during the investigation.
The judge concluded that there was no evidence suggesting that the accused were determined to commit rape.
Regarding the third accused, Ashok, who is Pawan’s father, the allegation is that he abused and threatened the complainant when she approached him after the incident.
Consequently, Ashok has been summoned under Sections 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code.
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