Man accused of outraging woman’s modesty told to assist traffic cops at signal

THE DELHI High Court has recently quashed an FIR lodged against a man for allegedly outraging the modesty of a woman on the condition that he assists the traffic police at a traffic signal for 30 days. The order comes two years after the two parties had settled the matter at a mediation centre, and the woman conveyed to the HC that she had “no objection” if the FIR is quashed.

A single- judge bench of Justice Navin Chawla, in its April 16 order, said: “Accordingly, the ( quashing) petition is allowed. FIR registered under IPC sections 354/ 506/ 509 and all consequential proceedings emanating therefrom against the petitioner are quashed, subject to the condition that the petitioner shall assist the traffic police at a traffic signal where he may be deputed by the DCP Traffic, East District, for a period of 30 days.”

The FIR was registered against the man in 2018 for offences under IPC sections 354 ( assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 506 ( criminal intimidation) and 509 ( word, gesture or act intending to insult modesty of a woman). During the hearing on April 16, the man’s counsel said that the parties have “amicably settled their inter se disputes and have entered into a settlement” on March 21, 2022, before the Delhi Mediation Centre, Karkardooma Courts.

The woman who had joined the HC hearing via video conferencing, stated that she had settled all the disputes with the petitioner “out of her own free will”, and has “no objection” if the FIR is quashed.