Obscene Words, General Abuse At Woman Not Offence U/S 354A(1)(iv) IPC If No Allegation Of Sexually Coloured Remark: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court recently held that utterance of general abuse or obscene words at a woman without any specific allegation of a sexually coloured remark would not attract the offence of sexual harassment as per Section 354A(1)(iv) of the Indian Penal Code. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 563]Justice Jobin Sebastian observed:“the mere utterance of obscene words would not, by itself,...

Proof Of Robbery Or Attempted Robbery Essential Component For Conviction Under S. 394 IPC : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (October 7) held that a conviction under Section 394 IPC / Section 309 (6) of BNS cannot be sustained unless it is proved that robbery or an attempt to rob took place. “The robbery or attempted robbery is not at all a peripheral circumstance and is rather an essential component of the offense.”, observed a bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and...

Saree With Deity's Artwork On Lower Portion, 'Pallu' Doesn't Outrage Religious Feelings Or Disrupt Public Order: Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court has held that mere printing or selling of saree, textile materials containing artistic depictions of a deity or revered icon, even if appearing on lower border/Pallu of the garment, cannot automatically be presumed to be an act driven by deliberate malice or calculated to disrupt public order and outrage religious feelings. [2026 LiveLaw (Guj) 275]The court was hearing...

If Breakup Ends Up With Suicide, It Cannot Always Be Termed Abetment To Suicide : Supreme Court

Refusal to marry must be accompanied by intention or knowledge to drive a woman to suicide, the Court said.

'Two-Month Delay In Lodging FIR in Gang Rape Case Not Extraordinary, Cannot Disbelieve Entire Occurrence': Patna High Court

The Patna HC has held that a two-month delay in lodging an FIR in a gang-rape case is not so extraordinary that the entire occurrence can be disbelieved on that ground alone.A Single Judge Bench of Justice Chandra Shekhar Jha was hearing a quashing petition seeking to set aside the order dated 27.11.2018 by which the Special Judge, SC/ST, Patna had taken cognizance under Section 376(D) of...

Offence Of Sexual Intercourse On False Promise Of Marriage U/S 69 BNS Doesn't Apply To Women: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court has held that the offence under Section 69 BNS—which penalises sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means or false promises of marriage which does not amount to rape—cannot be invoked against a woman.Section 69 states that whoever, by deceitful means or by making promise to marry a woman without any intention of fulfilling the same, and has sexual...

Caste-Based Insult Not In 'Public View', Eyewitness Didn't Support Prosecution: Gujarat High Court Upholds SC/ST Act Acquittal

The Gujarat High Court upheld the acquittal of three persons accused of using caste-based slurs and assaulting the complainant, observing that the eyewitness did not support the prosecution case in proving that the alleged derogatory words were used with an intent to insult in public. [2026 LiveLaw (Guj) 274]It was alleged that the accused persons knew that the complainant belonged to...

Writ Petition Alleging Violations Of Natural Justice Can't Be Dismissed At Threshold For Alternative Remedy: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has held that a writ petition in which particularised breaches of natural justice are pleaded cannot be dismissed at the threshold as not maintainable on the ground that an alternative statutory remedy is available, without a counter-affidavit being called for and the plea being tested on the rival versions.The bench of Justice Shekhar B. Saraf and Justice Abdhesh...

Supreme Court Quashes Cheating Case Over Unpaid Steel Dues, Calls Criminal Cases In Civil Disputes An Abuse Of Process Of Law

The Supreme Court has recently quashed a criminal case for cheating against two company directors, holding that the complainant's grievance over unpaid dues was civil in nature and that he had misused criminal proceedings to recover money.A bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Atul S Chandurkar held so while setting aside the Gujarat High Court's order, which had discharged the appellants...

Bombay High Court Rejects Anticipatory Bail To Galaxy Hospital Licensee In Illegal Abortion Death Case

The Bombay High Court has held that a hospital licensee cannot disown an illegal abortion conducted by an unqualified person merely by claiming that he had not performed any “overt act”, while rejecting anticipatory bail to the licensee of Galaxy Hospital. The Court observed that the applicant, who had control and supervision over the hospital, was duty-bound to ensure that it was being...

Doesn't Outrage Religious Feelings: Karnataka High Court Quashes Case Over Facebook Post Using Term 'Jihadi'

The Karnataka High Court has held that use of the term 'jihadi' in a Facebook post would not attract the offences of outraging religious sentiments or publishing statements intended to promote enmity between different religious communities.In doing so the court quashed an FIR against a Facebook user accused of hurting sentiments of Muslim community by posting a social media post, holding that...

Bengaluru Court Stays RSS Defamation Case Against Minister Priyank Kharge, Congress Leader Nalapad

A Bengaluru Sesssions Court has stayed further proceedings in a criminal defamation case against Karnataka Home Minister Priyank M. Kharge and Congress leader Mohammed Haris Nalapad over alleged defamatory statements against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).Judge KB Shivaprasad has decided to examine the locus standi of the organisation's member, who filed the complaint.The development comes...