New Delhi: A 55-year-old man, suffering from heart ailment, has been let off by a Delhi court on probation for a year after being convicted of "insulting the modesty" of a washerwoman by hurling filthy abuses at her.
Metropolitan Magistrate Rachna T Lakhanpal let off North
Delhi resident and convict Suresh Kumar Gupta, warning him of
a stern sentence in case he fails to maintain a good behaviour
during his freedom on probation.
"Using of such filthy language against the complainant, a
woman, is absolutely indecent behaviour and offensive to
morality...The accused`s conduct was indecent and offensive,"
the court said.
According to the prosecution, on July 15, 2007, Gupta
went to Guddi`s shop and asked her why his ironed clothes were
not delivered at his house.
Guddi told Gupta her son had gone the day before to his
house to deliver the ironed clothes but his door was locked.
She also said as soon as her husband - who had gone to fetch
coal - comes, he will deliver his clothes.
At this Gupta lost his cool and started hurling filthy
abuses at her and even pushed her and threatened to burn her
`jhuggi (hut)`. The matter was reported to police.
Convicting Gupta under IPC section 509 (word, gesture or
act intended to insult a woman`s modesty), the court observed,
"These offences are not only offences against the individual
but against public morals and society as well...modesty is
considered to be an attribute of a human female irrespective
of age and social and economic background."
"...the accused has intentionally insulted the modesty of
the complainant by uttering filthy abuses," the court said.
The judge, however, released Gupta on probation for an
year, saying, "I am of the view that the convict herein must
have learnt from his past mistake and want to join the society
to display good behaviour and be a better asset for the
society as a whole."
PTI
