Hans News Service New Delhi

A Delhi court has convicted a man for outraging the modesty of a woman, sexually harassing her and insulting her modesty during a neighbourhood quarrel, while acquitting him of attempting to disrobe her and causing hurt to her mother. Additional Sessions Judge Sachin Jain was hearing a case against Vikas Kumar alias Vicky and convicted him of charges under BNS Sections 74 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 75(3) (sexual harassment via sexually colored remarks) and 79 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman). In an order dated September 24, the court said, “The testimony is not confined to a general allegation that the accused ‘abused’ her but attributed specific sexually coloured expressions to him which are not reproduced herein for the sake of brevity. The court therefore finds that the evidence goes beyond a mere allegation of ordinary abuse arising from a neighbourhood quarrel.”

The court, however, acquitted him under BNS Sections 76 (assault or use of criminal force on a woman with intent to disrobe) and 115(2) (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), giving him the benefit of doubt on the charges of attempting to disrobe the woman and voluntarily causing hurt to her mother respectively. According to the prosecution, on August 3, 2024, the woman and her mother were going to throw garbage when Kumar, their neighbour, objected to it.A quarrel followed, during which he allegedly abused the woman, held her hand and dragged her towards his house.