Applying pressure to sensitive areas does not constitute an attempt at rape: Indian High Court.

 

The Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh, India, has stated in a ruling that the act of squeezing a victim's breast and tearing the drawstring of her pajama does not constitute rape or an attempt at rape, but rather should be classified as severe sexual assault.

This judgment was delivered by Justice Ram Manohar Mishra.

According to a report by the Indian news outlet NDTV, the incident occurred in 2021 in Kasganj, where two individuals, Pawan and Akash, squeezed the breasts of an 11-year-old girl, tore her pajama's drawstring, and attempted to drag her under a culvert. They fled the scene when passersby intervened. Initially, the accused had offered to take the child in their vehicle before this horrific incident transpired.

Following the directives of the Kasganj district court, Pawan and Akash were charged under Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.