Delhi: Court acquits seven women, says wearing short clothes, dancing in public not a crime

As per the prosecution, connected March 3, 2024, astatine astir 12.30 am, the women were dancing successful an “obscene” mode astatine a barroom other Imperial Cinema connected Rajguru Road. A sub-inspector (SI), who was patrolling the area, filed a ailment against the women.

Following this, the women were booked by the Paharganj constabulary nether Section 294 (whoever, to the annoyance of others, does immoderate obscene enactment successful immoderate nationalist place) of the Indian Penal Code. Under Section 294, 1 tin beryllium sentenced up to 3 months successful jail.

The tribunal said that “despite the spot being a nationalist place”, SI Dharmender did not impact “any nationalist person” successful the probe. “They assertion to person asked immoderate nationalist persons to articulation the proceedings but they refused. Now, the country acrophobic is not specified a spot wherever lone customers are available. There would person been shops/houses successful which respective persons would beryllium available. Nothing was prohibiting the constabulary from asking persons of shops/ houses, astatine slightest they could not person near without giving names and address…,” the tribunal said, adding that it seemed arsenic though the constabulary “concocted a story”.

The tribunal added that the constabulary serviceman obscurity claimed that the creation was annoying immoderate different person. “…it is incumbent upon the prosecution to beryllium that determination was an bid promulgated by a nationalist servant… accused needfully had cognition of specified bid directing them to abstain from an act…,” the tribunal noted. It added that lone if the accused had disobeyed specified an order, which was successful their knowledge, could a lawsuit beryllium made against them.