The Delhi High Court took particular exception to the defence seeking to link the woman’s clothes, including her wearing jeans, with the alleged offence.
Published: August 10, 2026, 7:38 PM IST
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What did Delhi High Court say while convicting man in a sexual harassment case (Representational AI image)
New Delhi: In a firm defense of personal liberty, the Delhi High Court on Monday ruled that a woman’s choice of clothing is strictly her personal business, warning that neither society nor neighbors have any right to dictate what she wearsJustice Chandrasekharan Sudha made the observation while overturning the acquittal of an accused in a sexual harassment case and convicting him under Section 354A(1)(i) of the IPCThe Bench strongly censured the defense for attempting to link the victim’s choice of attire, specifically her wearing jeans to the crime committed against her.
What Delhi HC said on women wearing jeans?
The court emphasized that attributing blame to a victim’s clothing reflects an unacceptable defense tactic aimed at deflecting criminal responsibilityBy reversing the lower court’s acquittal, the High Court reaffirmed that victim-blaming arguments regarding attire hold no legal validity in sexual misconduct proceedings.
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“What a girl or woman chooses to wear is a matter of her personal choiceNeither her neighbours, nor society, nor the accused, nor counsel appearing in a court of law has any right to dictate her clothingIt is simply none of their concern,” Justice Sudha said.
Can woman’s wearing of jeans “corrupt young boys”?
The Delhi High Court also rejected the argument that the woman’s wearing of jeans could “corrupt young boys”, saying that the answer did not lie in controlling the clothes of girls and women.
The Delhi High Court was hearing an appeal against the trial court’s acquittal of Sajid Ali, who was accused of repeatedly stalking the woman, making sexually coloured remarks, and touching her cheeks and hipDuring the trial, the defence had questioned the woman about her clothes and the objections purportedly raised by residents of the locality over her wearing western clothes.
The woman had stated that she generally wore “normal jeans and top”, while also acknowledging that local residents had objected to her attire.
“A woman’s choice of attire neither diminishes her dignity nor serves as justification or condonation for unlawful conduct directed against her,” the judgment saidJustice Sudha further observed that questions based on “regressive notions of how a woman ought to dress” have no legitimate place in a court of law and cannot be used as a device for character assassination or blaming the prosecutrix.
(With inputs from agencies)
