Aastha Thakur
Published on: 06 November 2022 at 17:43 IST
A Delhi court has ruled that the phrase “f**k off” is obscene American slang and is not used to encourage people to leave in Indian culture, schools, or universities.
Therefore, Tis Hazari Court Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sanjay Sharma dismissed the plea of an accused person who claimed that the word’s dictionary definition is “to leave.”
According to the Court it is a sexually coloured remark which is offensive, abusive, and humiliating. The order states that –
“The said word is an American vulgar slang. The said word is a offensive word. In Indian society, schools or colleges, this word is not used to ask anyone to leave or go away…..In ordinary sense, the said word is abusive, offensive and humiliating,”
The court was hearing a revision petition against order of the MM, Mahila Court, which had convicted the accused, Tausif-ul Hasan under Sections 354A (sexual harassment), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (insulting modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
It was claimed that the accused used abusive language against the woman in her house and threatened her.
He used to sling a lot of words, like ‘f**k off’ and ‘bazaru aurat’ – a woman of bad character.
While carefully weighing the arguments, ASJ Sharma stated that there was a prima facie case that the man used the word with the intention to insult the complainant’s modesty.
The complainant specifically alleged that Hasan urged her to stop talking and sit in a corner while threatening to kick her and her family out of the house, the court noted.
The judge ruled that this is sufficient justification to pursue legal action against the petitioner for violations of Sections 354A/509 and 506 IPC.
“This Court does not find any material illegality, irregularity or jurisdictional error in the impugned order framing charges under Section 354A/509 and 506 IPC. Accordingly, the criminal revision petition filed by the petitioner is dismissed.”