KOZHIKODE: An observation made by a District Sessions Court in Kerala that the offence under sexual harassment is not prima facie attracted, when the woman was wearing "sexually provocative dress" has sparked a controversy with the state women commission strongly deploring it.
The court made the observation last week while granting bail to 74-year-old social activist and writer Civic Chandran in a sexual abuse case. In its August 12 order, the Kozhikode Sessions Court had observed that the photograph of the complainant, produced by the accused along with the bail application, would explain that she "herself is exposing to dresses which are having some sexual provocative one" and it is impossible to believe that a man aged 74 and physically disabled can forcefully put the complainant on his lap and sexually press her breast."
