# Staring at a woman not a demand for sexual favours, rules Karnataka High Court

> The Karnataka High Court has ruled that merely looking at a woman inappropriately does not constitute a demand for sexual favours. The court quashed the criminal proceedings against the accused.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Crime · **Published:** 2026-11-08 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/crime/karnataka-high-court-ka-aham-faisla-mahila-ko-galat-nazar-se-dekhna-nahi-hai-yon-sambandh-ki-mang-57712 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Karnataka High Court, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, sexual harassment, legal ruling, Bengaluru, court verdict

The Karnataka High Court has delivered a significant ruling clarifying that staring at a woman or looking at her inappropriately does not automatically amount to sexual harassment or a request for sexual favours. The court emphasized that criminal proceedings under Section 75(1)(ii) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita cannot be sustained solely on the ground that an accused person cast an improper gaze at a complainant.

Justice Suraj Govindaraj, presiding over the bench, ordered the quashing of criminal proceedings initiated against the petitioner. The decision came after the court observed that the female complainant had retracted the majority of the serious allegations she had initially leveled during the course of police investigation, narrowing her stance down to merely being looked at inappropriately.

According to the case records, the woman initially alleged that during a visit to the residence of the accused over a financial dispute, he demanded sexual favours and offered money and other benefits in return. She had further claimed that the accused issued threats of physical harm when financial matters were raised. However, in her subsequent statement recorded during the police investigation, the woman contradicted these claims and stated that she was only looked at improperly.

Despite the retraction, the police proceeded to file a chargesheet invoking Section 75(1)(ii) along with Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for criminal intimidation. Seeking relief from the ongoing legal proceedings, the accused approached the High Court to have the case dismissed.

While allowing the petition on November 2, the bench noted that the subsequent statement by the complainant effectively negated the essential ingredients of the alleged offences. The court observed that no additional material was available on record to substantiate the accusations of demanding sexual favours or issuing criminal intimidation, rendering the continuation of proceedings unjustified.

## What this means for you
This judicial ruling establishes a clear legal benchmark for cases involving inconsistent statements and retracted allegations during investigations.

- **Across India:** The judgment clarifies for citizens and legal practitioners that essential legal ingredients must be firmly established to sustain criminal charges under statutory provisions. It reinforces the necessity of concrete evidence over subjective perceptions in criminal proceedings.
- **In Karnataka:** Individuals facing legal scrutiny in similar disputes where complainants retract primary allegations stand to benefit from this precedent. It ensures that criminal prosecutions are not pursued without substantive corroborating material on record.

## Why this happened
This legal proceeding reached the High Court after a complainant modified her allegations during the police investigation following an initial dispute involving financial matters. The pivotal factor was the complete retraction of primary accusations by the complainant during subsequent questioning.

- **Contradictory Statements:** The female complainant initially alleged financial exploitation and demands for sexual favours, but subsequently dismissed these claims during formal police recording.
- **Lack of Evidence:** The court observed that no corroborative material or supporting evidence existed on record to substantiate charges of demanding sexual favours or criminal intimidation.
- **Statutory Interpretation:** Justice Suraj Govindaraj ruled that an improper gaze alone fails to satisfy the legal threshold required to constitute an offence under Section 75(1)(ii) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. What was the core ruling delivered by the Karnataka High Court?
The court ruled that merely looking at a woman inappropriately does not constitute a demand for sexual favours or sexual harassment.

### 2. Which judge presided over the bench that issued this order?
The matter was heard and ruled upon by Justice Suraj Govindaraj.

### 3. How did the complainant change her statements during the investigation?
The woman initially alleged demands for sexual favours and threats, but later retracted those claims during police questioning, stating only that she was looked at improperly.

### 4. What sections of the law were invoked against the accused?
The police filed a chargesheet under Section 75(1)(ii) and Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

### 5. Why did the High Court quash the criminal proceedings?
The court found that the complainant's subsequent statements negated the essential ingredients of the offences and no supporting evidence was available on record.

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