Celebs Slam Bombay HC's Verdict That Groping Without 'Skin to Skin' Contact Isn't Sexual Assault
A single bench of Justice Pushpa Ganediwala announced the verdict and devoid the accused 39-year-old man of any sexual assault charges. The accused had allegedly taken a 12-year-old to his house on the pretext of giving her guava, and had pressed her breast and attempted to remove her salwar.
In what is being hailed as a shocking and bizzare verdict, the Bombay High Court has observed that groping a child¡¯s breasts without ¡°skin-to-skin contact¡± does not classify as sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
A single bench of Justice Pushpa Ganediwala announced the verdict and devoid the accused 39-year-old man of any sexual assault charges. The accused had allegedly taken a 12-year-old to his house on the pretext of giving her guava, and had pressed her breast and attempted to remove her salwar.
Bombay High Court / TOI
When this verdict was available for the public, immense backlash ensued against not only the judgment but how a woman could put forward the fact that touching any woman even on her clothing without her consent is sexual assault.
While some called it the birth of eve-teasing in India, some wanted this to be called fake news.
Discover celebrity reactions below.
Pls tell me this is Fake news !!! https://t.co/orskyq7mn4
¡ª Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) January 24, 2021
I tried for long but m still left with no words to describe how I feel after reading this. https://t.co/U8BKFrkhu8
¡ª taapsee pannu (@taapsee) January 24, 2021
"This is just f*****d. I'm fed up," wrote Shibani in an Instagram Story. "Passed by a woman," she added. "Feel broken." Shibani was referring to Justice Pushpa Ganediwala of the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, who passed the verdict.
The day of this ruling should be celebrated annually as "Eve-Teasers' Day". https://t.co/941tWexpXS
¡ª Raghu Ram (@tweetfromRaghu) January 25, 2021
Even citizens were extremely disturbed at this verdict and the precedent this would set for men to casually touch women as they please.
I am not even thinking about the depravity of the molester as much as I'm screaming at the depravity of those who believe that mere cloth on one's breasts would somehow make it any less of a sexual assault. Horrifying license to sexual violence pic.twitter.com/HmS14vIpJQ
¡ª dr. meena kandasamy || ???????? (@meenakandasamy) January 24, 2021
Every single time we've been groped 'with sexual intent' by family members, neighbours, strangers on a railway platform means nothing to the Nasik bench of Bombay HC. They should have taken our tops off or pants down for it to be sexual assault and only then would it be a crime. pic.twitter.com/t0ZFQN12uY
¡ª Vrushali Kadam (@vrushalimkadam) January 24, 2021
Exactly where is this country headed in terms of women safety?
