Supreme Court Pulls Up Patna High Court Over 'Grabbing Breast Not Rape Attempt' Order
The Supreme Court of India has ordered that a judicial sensitivity report be uploaded to all high court websites following controversial rulings that minimized sexual assault charges. The court emphasized that judges have a duty to conduct proper research and follow established guidelines in sexual offense cases.
Why it matters
The intervention addresses systemic issues in judicial interpretation of sexual violence laws and reinforces the need for gender-sensitive legal standards.
The Supreme Court today directed that the National Judicial Academy Committee's report on judicial sensitivity in sexual offence cases be uploaded on the websites of the Supreme Court and all high courts.The report was prepared in the suo motu case arising from the Allahabad High Court's March 17, 2025 order that had held that pulling a girl's pyjama string and grabbing her breasts did not amount to an attempt to rape.Senior lawyer Shobha Gupta told the Supreme Court that this has been happening every now and then, including an order by the Patna High Court on July 9, which said that removing a woman's salwar and pressing her chest were not attempt to rape.Justice V Mohana asked whether the Supreme Court's judgment in the Allahabad High Court matter, which directed sensitisation of judges on the issue, was cited in the Patna High Court.Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, referring to…
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