Not prima facie sexual harassment if woman dressed ‘provocatively’: Kerala court

A Kozhikode Sessions court in Kerala observed that a sexual harassment offence cannot be prima facie applied if a woman was wearing a ‘sexually provocative dress.’ The order was passed while granting an anticipatory bail order to author and social activist Civic Chandran in a sexual harassment case. This is the second sexual harassment case against the 74-year-old Chandran.
Chandran had produced photographs of the woman along with his bail application.
Session Judge S Krishnan Kumar noted, “The photographs produced along with the bail application of the accused would reveal that the defacto complainant herself is exposing to dresses which are having some sexual provocative one. So Section 354A will not prima facie stand against the accused.” The court further added that it is hard to believe that a senior citizen who is physically challenged could forcibly ask the complainant to sit on his lap.
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