Supreme Court reviews controversial Allahabad HC ruling

The Supreme Court of India has started proceedings regarding a recent judgment by the Allahabad High Court that has caused significant controversy. The decision, made on March 17, questioned the definition of "attempt to rape." Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna began the process after receiving a letter from senior advocate Shobha Gupta. In her letter, Gupta expressed serious concern about the ruling. She criticized the judge for what she called an insensitive and erroneous interpretation of the law. Gupta highlighted that such judgments send a harmful message to society, especially at a time when violence against women is rising in India. She requested the Chief Justice to act on both administrative and judicial levels, including seeking the judge's removal from his duties. The Supreme Court confirmed that a Suo Motu Writ Petition has been registered in response to Gupta's letter. On March 21, Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Annapurna Devi, also condemned the Allahabad High Court ruling, labeling it unacceptable for a civilized society. The judgment under scrutiny was made by Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra. He ruled that certain actions by a man, such as grabbing a girl's breasts and dragging her under a culvert, did not amount to an attempt to rape. This decision sparked outrage across the country, with calls for the judge's removal and for the case to be transferred to the Supreme Court for justice. The case involved three men accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in November 2021. The Allahabad High Court reduced the charges from attempted rape to lesser offenses, arguing that the facts presented did not meet the legal threshold for an attempt. The ruling has been met with widespread criticism, calling attention to the need for sensitive handling of sexual assault cases in the judicial system.