“Why do you do all this? You might be an activist but why do this? What kind of nonsense is this? How can you make use of children for this? What kind of a culture will the children perceive?” Justice Arun Mishra, who was heading the bench, was quoted as saying by LiveLaw.
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Rehana Fathima’s anticipatory bail plea in a case related to a controversial video with her children was rejected by the Supreme Court.
Who is Rehana Fathima & what’s the case which left Justice Mishra baffled?
Rehana Fathima is an Indian women’s rights from Kerala. She was seeking bail in cases against her for allegedly circulating a video in which she was semi-nude, allowing her minor children to paint on her body, which was rejected by the apex court.
The bench said it is a little baffled at the kind of case that has come up before it.
The allegation against Fathima is that she asked her children, a boy and girl aged 14 and 8 respectively to paint on her semi-nude body. The video was shot by her and uploaded on social media.
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However, the video was found by the Cyber Dome, Kochi City Police and a case was registered against the activist in June, alleging offences punishable under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act), Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
Earlier, the woman was also booked by the police in Pathanamthitta district under the Information Technology Act and the Juvenile Justice Act on a complaint lodged by BJP OBC Morcha leader A V Arun Prakash.
In the year 2018, when the Supreme Court allowed women in traditionally barred age groups of 10-50 into the Sabarimala temple in September 2018, Fathima made an attempt to enter the hill shrine, but had to retreat following protests by Hindu activists and devotees.
She had given an anticipatory bail plea in kerala High Court which rejected her petition,. The court said it was not in a position to agree with the petitioner that she should teach sex education to her children in this manner.
In her justification she had submitted that so far as children are concerned, they need to be imparted sex education and made aware of the body and its parts as well enabling them to view it as a different medium altogether rather than seeing it as a sexual tool alone.
The high court had observed that the petitioner has got the freedom to teach her children according to her philosophy, "but, that should be within the four walls of her house and should not be forbidden by law".
What the SC remarked today?
Fathima’sbail plea was rejected by the topcourt and it observed as to what kind of impression the children will get about the culture of this country through such videos.
The bench of Justices Arun Mishra, B R Gavai and Krishna Murari said this kind of thing is unthinkable and would leave the society in a bad taste.
The bench said that she may be an activist but this kind of thing is unthinkable. What is the impression this will give to the children about the culture of this country, the bench observed.
(with inputs from PTI)