Holding hands of minor or Unzipping pants does not amount to sexual assault- Bombay HC

In another ruling, The Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court said that the act of holding hands of a minor or the zip of the pants of the accused being open at the relevant time does not amount to sexual assault as defined under Section 7 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The judgment was passed by Justice Pushpa Ganediwala in a criminal appeal against the conviction and sentence to a 50-year-old man for molesting a five-year-old girl.

The police had registered a case based on the complaint lodged by the victim’s mother, who said that she saw the accused, whose pants zip was opened, holding the hands of her daughter. She had also testified that her daughter informed her that the accused removed his penis from the pant and asked her to come to the bed for sleeping.

The Session Court had convicted the man and ruled it to be aggravated sexual assault punishable under Section 10 of POCSO and sentenced him to five years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25,000 with a default simple imprisonment for six months.

However, Justice Ganediwala kept aside his conviction under Sections 8, 10, and 12 of POCSO Act, but held him guilty under Section 354A (1) (i) IPC, which carries a maximum imprisonment of three years.

The Nagpur bench noted that the case comes under “sexual harassment” and not “sexual assault”. “The offence of sexual harassment under Section 354A (1) (i), which deals with physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures, is attracted in the case,” it said.

Justice Gandiwala also noted the definition of “sexual assault” under Section 7 of the POCSO says, “Sexual assault – Whoever, with sexual intent touches the vagina, penis, anus or breast of the child or makes the child touch the vagina, penis, anus or breast of such person or any other person, or does any other Act with sexual intent which involves physical contact without penetration is said to commit sexual assault”.

The High Court said, “Since no actual touching of the private parts of the body happened in the case, the act will come under the ambit of the third part of the definition: any other Act with sexual intent which involves physical contact without penetration”.

On January 19 judgment, the Nagpur bench said groping a minor’s breast without skin-to-skin contact cannot be termed sexual assault as defined under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

To which the Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the Bombay High Court’s controversial order. Attorney General KK Venugopal said the order would set a dangerous precedent.