Man gets two-year RI for sending vulgar messages to Chandigarh woman

The convict, Kulbhushan Singla, of Sector 19, Panchkula, was booked following a complaint by the woman, who lives in Burail, Sector 45, Chandigarh, and runs a printing press there

A local court has sentenced a resident of Panchkula to two-year rigorous imprisonment for sending obscene messages and videos to a woman in 2014, and not stopping despite her objections.

While the accused claimed that he was being falsely implicated, the Chandigarh court obsered that no woman can come forward to level false allegations of sexual harassment at the cost of tarnishing her dignity. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The convict, Kulbhushan Singla, of Sector 19, Panchkula, was booked following a complaint by the woman, who lives in Burail, Sector 45, Chandigarh and runs a printing press there.

She had told the police that she met Singla when she visited the house of his neighbour, Manmohan Kohli, who owed her ₹9 lakh. They had shared contacts after Singla offered her help in getting her money back.

But on October 12, 2014, he started sending her obscene text messages and videos, and didn’t stop till she complained to the police.

The accused was booked under Section 354-A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on December 19, 2014, and subsequently arrested.

During the trial, the prosecution examined 12 witnesses and the complainant also submitted printed copies of the text messages that ran up to 41 pages.

The counsel for the accused, meanwhile, argued that he had not committed offences under Section 354-A of the IPC.

However, the court observed, “The act of sending a woman vulgar and indecent messages coupled with a request for sexual favours is such as would be an outrage to the modesty of a woman and knowledge that modesty is likely to be outraged is sufficient to constitute the offence without any deliberate intention having such outrage alone for its object.”

While the accused also claimed that he was being implicated in a fake case, the court held, “In such type of cases, the accused degrades the very soul of the helpless female and no woman can come forward to level false allegations of sexual harassment at the cost of tarnishing her dignity.”

Therefore, the court convicted the accused under clause (ii) (a demand or request for sexual favours) and (iv) (making sexually coloured remarks) under Section 354-A (1) of the IPC. He was awarded two-year rigorous imprisonment under clause (ii) and one-year rigorous imprisonment under clause (iv), along with a fine of ₹1,000 each for both. Both sentences will run concurrently.