SC quashes Allahabad HC’s grabbing breast not ‘attempt to rape’ ruling

The Supreme Court recently set-aside the Allahabad High Court's March 2025 judgment which had diluted charges of attempt to rape against two accused to a lesser offence, holding that the High Court had wrongly treated the alleged acts of grabbing a woman's breast, breaking her pyjama string and dragging her underneath the culver as mere "preparation" and not an "attempt" to commit rape.

- TDG NETWORK

While doing so, the top court has also allowed the appeal filed against the high court decision and restored the original summons issued by the Special Judge (POCSO) Kasganj on charges of attempt to rape under Section 376 IPC read with Section 18 of the POCSO Act against the accused duo.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N.V. Anjaria has also asked the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, to constitute an expert committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Aniruddha Bose to frame draft guidelines aimed at "inculcating sensitivity and compassion" in judges and judicial processes while dealing with sexual offences and other vulnerable cases.