Pulling woman's hand not offence if criminal intent not proved, says HC

THE Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has observed that a man pulling a woman's hand, though would shock her sense of decency, should be coupled with criminal intention to constitute an offence.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Madurai

Justice R N Manjula made the observations recently while setting aside the conviction and punishment imposed on a caste Hindu man, R Murugesan, for outraging the modesty of an SC woman of unsound mind by pulling her hands when she was grazing cattle in Madurai in 2015. Murugesan was booked by Sholavandan police under sections 3(1)(x) of SC/ST Act and 354 of IPC. The trial judge acquitted him from the