This Article is From Jan 21, 2018

"Woman's Body Is Her Own, No One Can Touch Her Without Consent": Court

A Delhi court while sentencing a man for trying to molest a little girl said a woman's body is her own and it is she who has an exclusive right over it and all others are prohibited to touch her

'Woman's Body Is Her Own, No One Can Touch Her Without Consent': Court

A Delhi Court said right to privacy of women does not seem to be recognised by men

New Delhi: No one can touch a woman without her consent; a Delhi court said on Saturday. Calling it unfortunate, Additional Sessions Judge Seema Maini said women continue to be victimised by "lecherous and sexually-pervert" men. The strong observation from the court came while pronouncing five-year jail term to a man - Chavi Ram of Uttar Pradesh - for sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl.

The court said a woman's body is her own and it is she who has an exclusive right over it and all others are prohibited to touch her body, without her consent. The Judge said, "Such perverts get a sexual kick by assaulting women, oblivious to the rights of privacy of women and the female child".

In 2014, at a crowded market in north Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar, Chavi Ram had inappropriately touched and tried to molest a little girl who was walking with her mother. The girl had immediately informed her mother and pointed to the man who tried to run away but was caught by the mother with the help of passersby. Chavi Ram claimed he was falsely charged in the case as the market was crowded and the real offender had run away. The court rejected his claim saying it was clear that he had a sexual intent and took advantage of a crowded market place, willfully touching the girl.

The court, while pronouncing the verdict said that the right to privacy of women does not seem to be recognised by men and they do not think twice, before making advances and sexually assaulting helpless girls. The court said that Chavi Ram being a "sexual pervert" deserves no leniency and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him out of which Rs 5,000 would be given to the girl. Apart from that the court asked the Delhi State Legal Service Authority to pay Rs 50,000 to the child.

"In a free, fast progressing, technically-strong country like India, it is an unfortunate scenario that the female citizens, be it an adult or a small child, continue to be consistently victimized in public places, especially crowded markets, buses and Metros", the court said.

With inputs from PTI
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