Kerala HC favours non-bailable offence for sexual assaults

Kochi, Jul 21 (UNI) Kerala High Court today pointed out the inadequacy of the provisions of law to protect children and women from various types of sexual assaults and favoured section 354 IPC, dealing with these offences, non-bailable.

While dismissing the bail application of fake godman Santosh Madhavan, charged with rape of minor girls and making of blue films, Justice K Hema said, taking all the facts into consideration, section 354 of IPC, which deals with outraging of the modesty of women, should be made non-bailable.

''By making section 354 IPC non-bailable, and by effecting amendments to the sentence for offence under the section, the evil of assault or criminal force to women with intent to outrage her modesty can be crubed to a certain extent,'' the judge said.

The court also observed that this can be done at the state level, as had already been done in Andhra Pradesh, which had made section 354 IPC non-bailable.

The court also observed that this may be done after considering all aspects, including Law Commission reports.

UNI XR ARC SY KP1752