
Court should be sensitive in cases of sexual assault on helpless women: SC
'The court should remain sensitive while dealing with the charges of sexual assault on the helpless woman," the bench said.
The top court verdict referred to its previous decisions and said a rapist 'not only violates the victim's privacy and personal integrity, but inevitably causes serious psychological as well as physical harm in the process".
'Rape is not merely a physical assault and subsequently destructs the whole personality of the victim," the bench quoted its decisions as saying.
The top court said the evidence of the survivor in the present case was entirely 'probable, natural and trustworthy" who with lucidity narrated the whole incident about commission of offence against by the accused.
'There exists no reason, much less compelling reasons, to disbelieve and discard her testimony," the bench observed.
Similarly, the bench was convinced by the testimony of the brother, who supported the survivor's statement.
'There was a consistency lent. The conduct of the victim, soon after the incident was quite natural, as she went to cousin sister's neighbouring house and through her, informed cousin brother and her parents who were away," the bench said.
The incident occurred on April 3, 2018, when the 15-year-old survivor and her brother were inside their house.
The parents had gone to a neighbouring village to attend the funeral ceremony of a family member.
Finding the her alone, the convict entered the house and sent her brother to bring a pack of chewing tobacco and sexually assaulted the minor. PTI PKS PKS AMK AMK
view comments
First Published:
August 05, 2025, 20:15 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
DU college professor booked for sexual harassment of minor student likely to lose job
A professor from a Delhi University (DU) college, booked earlier this year for allegedly sexually harassing and abusing a minor student, may now be terminated from service with the college's Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), which has been probing the matter since last December, recommending his dismissal. The recommendation is currently under consideration by the Vice-Chancellor, The Indian Express has learnt. Sources at DU said the process of termination of the professor – booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) – is in motion. 'The ICC has recommended that the professor be removed. The final nod is awaited from the Vice-Chancellor. Before making a decision, the administration has said that the case documents should be studied in detail,' said a senior DU official. The survivor, a minor student, had submitted a complaint to the ICC in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment and assault. According to official DU sources, while its probe was at the preliminary stage, the ICC recommended that the accused be kept off campus and barred from interacting with students until the inquiry was completed. Earlier this year, the Delhi Police had booked the professor. A senior police officer had told The Indian Express in May, 'He has not been arrested yet, but the police will soon call him in for questioning.' Officers said the college administration has been asked to provide all details related to the professor. This January, after day-long protests by student bodies on the campus, the professor had stepped down from his administrative responsibilities. In a letter to the Vice-Chancellor, he had written, 'Due to these allegations, I am finding it extremely challenging to continue my additional duties.' The same month, the college had confirmed that he had been suspended for six weeks. The principal of the college declined to respond to queries from The Indian Express. This case adds to a troubling pattern of allegations against the same professor. It is learnt that three prior complaints of misconduct had been filed against him with the ICC in 2016, 2020, and 2023. 'Each time, the complaints were buried. No action was taken… There was always pressure not to escalate,' said an official. Student groups, meanwhile, have alleged institutional negligence in dealing with repeated complaints against the professor.

Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Bill to ban online money gaming likely to be tabled in Parliament today
The Union government is expected to introduce new legislation that will completely prohibit online money gaming, in what will close a legal vacuum that created inconsistent regulation across states and left millions of users — especially children and young adults -- vulnerable to predatory platforms and financial exploitation The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 is likely to be introduced in the ongoing session of parliament, people aware of the matter said.(PTI) The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 is likely to be introduced in the ongoing session of parliament, people aware of the matter said. The legislation proposes a ban on platforms or games where users pay money or stakes with expectations of monetary returns, according to a draft seen by HT. The proposed law explicitly excludes e-Sports from this definition. ALSO READ | Online gaming rules are not enforceable govt tells court 'The immersive and addictive nature of online games, particularly with monetary incentives, has led to significant mental health issues among users — especially children, adolescents and young adults,' MeitY stated in the proposed law. 'Clinical evidence and field studies have shown a rise in anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and behavioural problems linked to prolonged gaming.' Online gaming covers a broad spectrum, from casual mobile games and educational apps to money-based fantasy sports and poker platforms. Several states have targeted the latter category, citing their constitutional authority to regulate gambling and betting. ALSO READ | 50-year-old uncle held for murdering minor nephew over online gaming However, this piecemeal approach has created legal confusion over what constitutes games of skill versus chance. The regulatory gaps have allowed operators to relocate between states or move offshore. At present, India has no federal regulation on online gaming. But a patchwork of laws exists, with the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh banning online money gaming outright, while Sikkim and Nagaland require registration for operators, and others like Telangana restricting certain forms of online gambling The central bill also links online money gaming to wider risks including fraud, money laundering, tax evasion and, in extreme cases, terror financing. The bill seeks to draw a sharp line between e-Sports and social gaming on one hand, and gambling-style online money games on the other, according to the proposal formulated by the ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity), seen by HT. ALSO READ | Allahabad HC asks UP govt to form panel over online gaming, betting regulation Anyone found offering or facilitating online money games could face up to three years imprisonment or fines reaching ₹1 crore, or both. Repeat offenders face harsher mandatory punishments. Advertising such platforms has also been criminalised, with penalties extending to two years imprisonment and fines up to ₹50 lakh or both. 'The proposed framework has effectively erased the long-standing and judicially recognised distinction between games of skill and games of chance. Even though the IT Rules amendments in 2023 had moved away from this binary, it still had the provision for recognizing some online money games as 'permissible'. What we now see in the bill is a complete prohibition: the definition of online money games is so wide that it captures all forms of games involving money. In such a regime, it no longer matters whether a game is skill-based or chance-based. The distinction is irrelevant,' said Rahil Chatterjee, senior associate at Ikigai Law. Financial institutions have been barred from processing payments linked to money gaming, a move aimed at choking off both domestic and offshore operators that bypass state laws. If a company is found guilty of violating the law, not just the company but also the people in charge of running that part of the business will be held responsible and face punishment, the proposed law states. The legal greys have also involved money laundering concerns. The Enforcement Directorate investigation recently held a sweeping crackdown into celebrities promoting online gaming platforms that facilitate illegal betting. The agency has been questioning film stars, cricketers, influencers, and representatives of big tech companies as part of a broader crackdown on money laundering associated with betting apps. The ministry, in its note, added that a growing number of individuals have fallen victim to financial losses due to online money gaming, 'sometimes resulting in extreme outcomes such as suicide, as widely reported in national and regional media.' 'In many cases, players are lured into a cycle of gaming with little awareness of the risks or legal protections,' the ministry said. 'Such content not only undermines Indian cultural values but also creates long-term behavioural conditioning among impressionable users.' To enforce these provisions, the bill provides for creating a new authority on online gaming or designating an existing authority, which will categorise and register games, issue compliance directions, and respond to user complaints. It will also have power to recommend blocking illegal services under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. ALSO READ | ₹18-crore 'online gaming' scam busted, 8 arrested in Kharar 'The authority to be set up under the bill has a very limited role. It can only determine whether a particular game qualifies as an online money game, but it has no power to permit or regulate such games once classified. And because all money games stand prohibited, the concept of a permissible real money game no longer exists. Importantly, the authority is designed merely to assist the central government, not to function as an independent regulator,' added Chatterjee. The law, once enacted, will extend across the country and apply even to services offered from outside India. Officials have been given wide powers to investigate, search, seize and block platforms in violation of the provisions. Popular fantasy sports platforms like Dream11, real-money rummy sites and cash-prize quiz apps could face prohibition under the legislation, while professional tournaments for games like BGMI and FIFA Mobile would be deemed legal. Officials at Meity did not respond to a request for comment.

Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Cop jailed for wasting Delhi court's time
A Delhi court on Tuesday sent a Delhi Police sub inspector to jail for wasting the court's time and not paying an amount of ₹10,000 for cancelling a bailable warrant issued against him. A Delhi court on Tuesday sent a Delhi Police sub inspector to jail for wasting the court's time Special judge (Pocso) Ramesh Kumar passed the order while presiding over an application moved by sub inspector Sandeep Rawal of Kalyanpuri police station, requesting cancelling of a bailable warrant issued against him earlier in the day after he failed to appear before the court during the prosecution examination stage of a Pocso trial. In his defence, the officer later appeared in person and told the court that he had gone to the Saket court to file a supplementary chargesheet in connection with another case lodged at Govindpuri police station. Therefore, he could not attend the proceedings. The court said, 'Despite service of warrant, IO (investigating officer) did not appear before this court, rather he had gone to other court to file supplementary chargesheet'. The judge said that the conduct of the IO showed that he has no regard for the process of the court and that there was no sufficient ground to cancel the warrant. However, the court said the warrant may be cancelled subject to payment of an amount of ₹10,000. The IO then told the court that he will have to go to an ATM to get the money. At around 3pm, the court noted that despite giving time to the IO to fetch the money, he didn't get the amount. The court noted, 'Despite taking time from the court to pay the amount of bailable warrant, IO has not paid the amount of bailable warrant. He has wasted the time of the court.'



