'Body-Shaming, Verbal Abuse Alone Don’t Amount To Insulting Woman’s Modesty Under Section 509 IPC': Karnataka HC

Bengaluru, October 2, 2026: The Karnataka High Court has dismissed allegations of body-shaming and verbal abuse against two women, ruling they did not constitute an offence under Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Section 509 criminalizes words, sounds, gestures, or acts intended to insult a woman's modesty, or intrusions into her privacy.

Punishable by up to three years' imprisonment and a fine, Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar made the decision while quashing criminal proceedings against the two women. The Court found that simply body-shaming and verbally abusing a woman was not enough to establish the offence under Section 509. The case stemmed from a complaint filed in August 2023 by a 26-year-old woman, who alleged that three individuals had verbally abused her and her friends with fat-shaming, body-shaming, racist, and vulgar language, causing mental trauma and distress.

Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 509 based on the complaint, leading to criminal proceedings. However, the High Court determined that the material did not support the elements required to prove an offence under Section 509. It also noted that the proceedings against a third person accused in the same incident had already been quashed.

The Court applied the principle of parity, ensuring that people facing the same allegations receive similar treatment. Therefore, it dismissed the criminal proceedings against the two women as well.