Karnataka High Court: Body shaming alone isn't a crime under IPC 509

The Karnataka High Court ruled that body shaming or verbal abuse alone cannot be considered a crime under Indian Penal Code Section 509 for outraging a woman's modesty. Justice S.R. Krishnakumar dismissed a case filed by a Bengaluru woman against two women and a man. The court stated that case records did not show an offense punishable under IPC 509 had occurred. The incident dated back to August 2023, when the 26-year-old complainant alleged the accused insulted her and her friends. Police had filed a chargesheet in a Bengaluru magistrate court. In June 2024, the High Court had already quashed proceedings against the male third accused. The ruling clarifies that verbal insults alone do not meet the legal threshold for this specific section.