CRL.REV.P. 1032/2018 Page 1 of 34

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

%

Reserved on: 07.08.2023

Pronounced on: 28.08.2023

+

CRL.REV.P. 1032/2018 & CRL.M.A. 48099/2018 &

CRL.M.A. 48100/2018 (for delay)

VARUN BHATIA

..... Petitioner

Through:

Mr. K.C. Mittal, Mr. Yugansh

Mittal

and

Mr.

Vaibhav

Yadav, Advocates.

versus

STATE AND ANOTHER

..... Respondents

Through:

Mr. Manoj Pant, APP for the

State

Mr. Ajit Kumar, Ms. Nutan

Kumari, Ms. Nikita Sharma

and

Mr.

Alok

Kumar,

Advocates for R-2.

CORAM:

HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE SWARANA KANTA SHARMA

J U D G M E N T

Index to the Judgment

Factual Background ................................................................................... 3

Arguments Addressed Before This Court ............................................... 4

Law on Framing of Charge And Discharge ............................................ 5

Law of Section 509 of Indian Penal Code ................................................ 9

I.

Section 509 of IPC ............................................................................. 9

Ii.Essential Ingredients of Section 509 of IPC .................................... 10

Digitally Signed

By:ZEENAT PRAVEEN

Signing Date:28.08.2023

19:39:26

Signature Not Verified

CRL.REV.P. 1032/2018 Page 2 of 34

iii.Difference Between Section 354 And Section 509 of IPC .............. 11

iv.Judicial Precedents Apropos „Outraging The Modesty of A

Woman‟ .................................................................................................. 12

The Test of Outraging Modesty of A Women ....................................... 16

i.

Defining „Modesty‟ ......................................................................... 16

ii.Defining „Outrage‟ ........................................................................... 18

iii.Defining Outraging Modesty of A Women ..................................... 18

iv.Defining Intention In Context of Section 509 IPC .......................... 20

Analysis And Findings ............................................................................. 22

i. The Material on Record ................................................................... 22

ii.Sufficiency of Material To Attract Criminality Under Section 509

of IPC ...................................................................................................... 24

The Role of Courts While Dealing With Gender-Specific Laws:

Striking A Neutral Chord ....................................................................... 30

i.

The Necessity For Court To Remain Gender Neutral While

Adjudicating Even Gender Specific Offences ........................................ 32

Conclusion ................................................................................................ 33

SWARANA KANTA SHARMA, J.

1.

The instant petition under Section 397 read with Section 401

of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 („Cr.P.C.‟) has been filed

on behalf of petitioner seeking setting aside of impugned order dated

05.07.2018 passed by learned Metropolitan Magistrate-05, Patiala

House Courts, New Delhi („Trial Court‟) in Criminal case no.

51656/2017 titled “State vs. Varun Bhatia”,arising out of FIR

bearing no. 79/2015, registered at Police Station R.K. Puram, New

Delhi under Section 509 of Indian Penal Code, 1860 („IPC‟).

Digitally Signed

By:ZEENAT PRAVEEN

Signing Date:28.08.2023

19:39:26

Signature Not Verified

CRL.REV.P. 1032/2018 Page 3 of 34

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

2.

The complainant in the present case had lodged a complaint

with the police on 31.01.2015 wherein she had stated that she had

been working with HDFC Life Insurance and that