The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of a Patna High Court judgment that held certain acts alleged against the accused did not amount to an ‘attempt to rape’, but at most to outraging a woman’s modesty under Section 354 IPC. A Bench led by CJI Surya Kant observed that some of the High Court’s observations were offensive, and said it would hear the accused before deciding. The step follows the Court’s earlier correction of a similar Allahabad High Court verdict.
The Patna High Court quashed a photo studio owner’s conviction for attempted rape, holding that the allegations constituted outraging modesty but did not satisfy the legal ingredients of attempt to rape. The Court cited absence of medical evidence and any unequivocal overt act establishing attempted rape.
The Bombay High Court said families in India often hesitate to report sexual assault and harassment due to social realities, and delay in filing an FIR alone cannot defeat such complaints. Refusing to quash a 2019 molestation FIR, the Court dismissed a Kerala man’s plea over allegations of outraging his domestic worker’s modesty.
The Bombay High Court’s Nagpur bench ruled that an inappropriate comment made by SBI manager Satyaswarup Haridas Meshram to a female clerk did not constitute a criminal offense under Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code. The Court found no criminal intent, deeming the remark aimed at improving performance rather than insulting modesty.
A Mumbai court convicted a 19-year-old for confessing his love to a 14-year-old girl and holding her hand. Judge Ashwini Lokhande presided over the case, determining that the boy’s actions compromised the young girl’s dignity. The court highlighted the necessity of safeguarding minors from inappropriate advances. This conviction underscores the serious legal consequences of such behavior toward minors. It serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting boundaries and the law when it comes to interactions with minors.
