Justice Chandrasekharan Sudha made the observation while convicting a man for sexually harassing a 17 year-old-girl.
The Court observed that these "complaints" reflected a deeply troubling and unacceptable mindset.
“What a girl or woman chooses to wear is a matter of her personal choice.
Neither her neighbours, nor society, nor the accused, nor counsel appearing in a court of law has any right to dictate her clothing.
The suggestion that a woman wearing jeans may 'corrupt young boys' reflects a deeply troubling and unacceptable mindset.
Justice Chandrasekharan Sudha made the observation while convicting a man for sexually harassing a 17 year-old-girl.
Notably, the judge took critical note that one of the reasons cited for the acquittal was the failure of the police to look into the complaints made by the accused and fifty local residents against the prosecutrix and her mother.
Justice Sudha was at a "loss of words" on finding that the alleged “crime” of the sexual assault victim and her mother was living in society without a male member, wearing western clothes, “corrupting” the minds of young boys in the locality, having questionable character and filing false complaints against “innocent boys” of the area.
The Court observed that these "complaints" reflected a deeply troubling and unacceptable mindset.
“What a girl or woman chooses to wear is a matter of her personal choice. Neither her neighbours, nor society, nor the accused, nor counsel appearing in a court of law has any right to dictate her clothing. It is simply none of their concern. The suggestion that a woman wearing jeans may 'corrupt young boys' reflects a deeply troubling and unacceptable mindset. The answer does not lie in controlling the clothes of girls and women. Parents and society must instead teach their children to control their conduct, respect personal boundaries and treat every human with dignity, whether at home or outside," the Court warned.
