Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Annapurna Devi, has strongly criticized a recent judgment by the Allahabad High Court, which held that grabbing a woman’s breast and snapping the string of her pyjama does not amount to rape but constitutes assault with intent to disrobe.

Calling the verdict “wrong,” Ms. Devi urged the Supreme Court to take cognizance of the matter, cautioning that such a ruling could “send a wrong message to society.”

The judgment, delivered by Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra, came in response to an appeal by two men challenging a lower court’s decision to summon them under rape charges.

Several women leaders have echoed Ms. Devi’s concerns, emphasizing the need for Supreme Court intervention in the case.

"It is quite disgusting the way there is a complete disregard of women by and large in the country, which we need to get over with," June Malia, Trinamool Congress MP said.

"Very unfortunate. I am very shocked at the comments made in the judgment. It is a very shameful scenario. How can the act that was committed by those men can not be taken as an act amounting to rape? I don't understand the logic behind this judgment. The Supreme Court needs to step in," Swati Maliwal, former DCW chief and AAP MP informed.

Case Brief:

The Allahabad High Court observed in a recent order that actions such as grabbing the victim's breast and breaking her pajama string do not amount to rape or attempted rape but instead constitute aggravated sexual assault.

Pawan and Akash were accused of grabbing the breasts, breaking pyjama string, and trying to drag her beneath a culvert in Uttar Pradesh's Kasganj of an 11-year-old victim.

The accused fled the scene after passersby intervened. The 2021 incident began when they offered the child a lift, leading to the horrific events that followed.

Both the accused were initially set to face trial under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code for rape and Section 18 of the POCSO Act, as directed by the Kasganj trial court.