Supreme Court Challenges Controversial Ruling on Sexual Assault Allegations

The Supreme Court will review an Allahabad High Court ruling concerning a sexual assault case, critiqued for its interpretation of what constitutes attempted rape. Legal experts have expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment, highlighting its potential to erode public confidence in the judiciary.

The Supreme Court has decided to review on its own initiative a contentious ruling by the Allahabad High Court regarding a sexual assault case. The high court had controversially ruled that grabbing a woman's breast and pulling her pyjama string do not constitute attempted rape, sparking significant debate.

This decision will be scrutinized by a bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih. The focus of the review is on the high court's interpretation of the incident, which legal experts say has negatively affected public confidence in the judicial system.

The controversy arose when the high court, on a case involving two men, ruled that their actions constituted assault but not attempted rape. Legal experts argue that such interpretations highlight the need for judicial restraint and caution when adjudicating sensitive cases.

(With inputs from agencies.)