Bombay HC Validates Email Insults as Legal Offense Against Women

The Bombay High Court ruled that written words via email or social media that demean a woman constitute an offense. The court refused to quash a 2009 case against a man accused of insulting a woman via email, stating modern technology facilitates such offenses and must be legally recognized.

The Bombay High Court has affirmed that written words through email or social media that demean a woman's dignity constitute an offense. The court declined to quash a 2009 case against a man accused of insulting a woman via email.

Justices A S Gadkari and Neela Gokhale ruled against the petitioner, who argued that Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code applies only to spoken words. The man allegedly sent offensive emails to a neighbor, which were also forwarded to other society members.

The court emphasized adapting legal interpretations to modern societal changes, stating that technology provides new methods for committing such offenses. The bench described the emails as 'defamatory' and aimed at lowering the complainant's reputation, reaffirming the case while removing charges under IPC Section 354.

(With inputs from agencies.)