The metropolitan magistrate of the Mumbai court in case on Tuesday held that section 354 of the Indian Penal Code is a gender neutral law and hence any person be a man or woman be held liable under the said section if the said person outrages the modesty of a woman. Relying on the said panorama the court on Tuesday held a woman liable for outraging the modesty of another woman.
The court specifically submitted that section 354 operates equality upon all persons whether males or females and it cannot be maintained that women are exempted from any punishment under this section. The bench highlighted the difference between a sexual offence and a criminal force and assault on a person and appraised that section 354 of IPC falls under the category of Criminal Force and Assault and not sexual offence. Thus the court convicted Rovena Bhosale under section 354 and 323 for outraging the modesty of her neighbour by tearing her nightdress in front of several people on September 19 2020. The court also added that a woman can outrag the modesty of another woman and is not incapable of outraging the modesty of another woman just by the virtue of her being a woman herself.
Source: https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/s354-ipc-women-can-also-be-held-guilty-of-outraging-womans-modesty-mumbai-court-215190
