Sexual Harassment Will Not Prima Facie Stand If Woman Is Wearing 'Sexually Provocative’ Dress: Kerala Court

According to the complaint filed with the police, writer Chandran sexually assaulted the young writer while attending a poetry camp in 2020 near Nandi beach in Kozhikode

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While granting bail to writer and activist Civic Chandran in a sexual harassment case, Kozhikode Sessions Court on Wednesday said that Sexual harassment will not prima facie stand when the complainant was wearing a dress that was sexually provocative.

Chandran along with his bail plea submitted photographs of the young writer or the complainant to the court. Referring to the photographs, the court said that the de facto complainant is herself exposed to dresses that are sexually provocative.

In a Tweet, news agency ANI said quoting the Kozhikode sessions court, "Even admitting that there was physical contact, it is impossible to believe that a man, aged 74, and physically disabled can forcefully put the defacto complainant in his lap."

Even admitting that there was physical contact, it is impossible to believe that a man, aged 74, and physically disabled can forcefully put the defacto complainant in his lap - the court further observed. (2/2)

— ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2022

Earlier, the district sessions court had granted pre-arrest bail to activist Chandran over a sexual assault case registered by a young writer at Koyinlandy police station in Kozhikode district on August 12. The 74-year-old writer was granted anticipatory bail in another sexual harassment case on August 2. 

According to the complaint filed with the police, writer Chandran sexually assaulted the young writer while attending a poetry camp in 2020 near Nandi beach in Kozhikode.

Meanwhile, Chandran in the court alleged that the woman has alleged had raised a false complaint against him. Chandran further said that the woman came with her boyfriend in the presence of many others and nobody had raised such complaints against him, said an Indian Express report.