High Court Clears Man Accused of Molestation: 'I Love You' Lacks Sexual Intent
The Bombay High Court's Nagpur bench cleared a 35-year-old man of molestation charges, ruling that merely saying 'I love you' does not imply sexual intent. The bench noted that other factors need to establish such intent. The man was previously convicted under the IPC and POCSO Act.
- Country:
- India
The Bombay High Court's Nagpur bench has overturned the 2017 conviction of a 35-year-old man accused of molesting a teenage girl. The court ruled that the man's statement of 'I love you' does not, by itself, suggest sexual intent.
Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke clarified that while any sexual act includes inappropriate touching or indecent gestures, mere expression of feelings doesn't suffice to imply sexual motive. The man had been sentenced to three years' imprisonment under the Indian Penal Code and POCSO Act.
The court stated that additional evidence is needed to prove that the intent behind the words 'I love you' was sexual in nature, thus quashing the earlier conviction as there was a lack of such evidence.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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