Delhi High Court Upholds Acquittal in Modesty Insult Case

The Delhi High Court upheld the acquittal of a man accused under IPC Section 509 of insulting a woman's modesty. The court found that mere assertions of indecent gestures and language are insufficient to constitute the offense, citing the lack of detailed allegations substantiating criminal intent.

The Delhi High Court has reaffirmed a lower court's decision to acquit a man accused of insulting the modesty of a woman. Justice Amit Mahajan addressed the state's appeal against the 2017 trial court verdict, underlining the insufficiency of evidence against the accused.

In his June 19 ruling, Justice Mahajan emphasized the legal precedent that filthy language or indecent gestures, without a clear contextual framework, do not meet the criteria for an offense under Section 509 of the IPC. The Supreme Court's 2025 verdict served as a reference point in the court's analysis.

Justice Mahajan observed that the prosecution failed to provide specific details of the alleged indecent acts, which meant the criminal intent required to establish the offense was unproved. As a result, the court decided the order of acquittal required no further interference.

(With inputs from agencies.)