Messages Like ‘You Are Slim, I Like You’ Sent to Unknown Women Amount to Obscenity; Court
Messages Like ‘You Are Slim, I Like You’ Sent to Unknown Women Amount to Obscenity; Court
A recent ruling by a sessions court has highlighted the issue of unsolicited messages sent to women. The Additional Sessions Judge (Dindoshi), D G Dhoble, determined that messages such as “you are slim, look very smart and fair, I like you” sent to an unknown woman late at night are considered obscene.
This ruling came as the court upheld the conviction of a man who had sent inappropriate messages via WhatsApp to a former corporator. The judge emphasized that obscenity should be assessed from the viewpoint of an “average person applying contemporary community standards.”
In this case, the court noted that the messages were sent between 11 PM and 12:30 AM, containing comments like “you are slim,” “you are looking very smart,” and inquiries about the woman’s marital status. The court reasoned that no married woman, or her husband, especially those with a reputation in the community, would accept such messages and photos from someone they do not know.
The court stated, “There is no evidence presented by the accused to show that there was any relationship between them.” The judge concluded that the messages sent constituted an insult to a woman’s modesty.
Previously, the accused had been found guilty by a magistrate court in 2022 and was sentenced to three months in prison. He later appealed this decision in the sessions court.
Among his arguments, the accused claimed that he was falsely accused due to political rivalry. However, the court dismissed this claim, noting that it was not backed by any evidence.
The court asserted, “Moreover, no woman would jeopardize her dignity by falsely accusing someone.” The prosecution successfully demonstrated that the accused had sent obscene WhatsApp messages and images to the woman.
Thus, the sessions judge affirmed that the trial court’s conviction and sentence of the accused were justified.
