A Delhi court has held that the remark “Kaun se wale papa?” made by a man to a woman was not an innocuous question but a sexually-derogatory insinuation about her fidelity and the paternity of her child, and convicted him for insulting her modesty.
The convict immediately remarked, “Kaun se wale papa? The woman ignored the comment and later, informed her father-in-law, who called police. The court further held that the intention behind the remark could be inferred from its nature and the circumstances in which it was made.
The court noted that the convict himself admitted during his statement made under section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) that he had uttered the words, though he had claimed that they were not spoken with any ill-intention.
The court said the meaning of the words emanated not merely from their literal content but from the specific circumstances in which they were spoken. “Such an imputation goes beyond mere discourtesy or a casual taunt and is capable of affronting the dignity and sense of decency of a woman,” the court said. The judge said the admission, considered along with the complainant’s testimony, provided additional assurance regarding the utterance.
