Supreme Court Overturns Controversial Calcutta HC Ruling on Adolescent Sexual Urges

The Supreme Court set aside a Calcutta High Court judgment advising adolescent girls to control their sexual urges, reinstating a rape conviction against a man who married his minor victim. The apex court criticized the High Court's problematic and unwarranted observations.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a Calcutta High Court ruling that controversially advised 'adolescent girls to control their sexual urges,' while reinstating a rape conviction against a man accused of sexually assaulting a minor before marrying her. Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan led the bench that reversed the High Court's acquittal decision.

The Supreme Court also provided guidelines for judges on crafting judgments in cases involving adolescents. Although the detailed judgment is pending, the apex court previously criticized the High Court's statement that adolescent girls must control their urges instead of yielding to fleeting pleasure. Justices Oka and Bhuyan described parts of the High Court judgment as 'highly objectionable and completely unwarranted.'

In its ruling, the Supreme Court emphasized that judges should refrain from expressing personal views or preaching. Senior advocate Madhavi Divan and advocate Liz Mathew were appointed to assist the court. The High Court's controversial judgment had also suggested decriminalizing consensual acts among adolescents and opined that sexual urges in adolescents stem from personal actions.