“Saying ‘I Love You’ Not Always Sexual Harassment: Mumbai High Court Acquits Youth in Minor’s Case”

Mumbai

The Mumbai High Court ruled that merely saying “I love you” doesn’t amount to sexual harassment unless accompanied by clear sexual intent. A man convicted for molestation has now been acquitted.

Mumbai| July 02,2025: In a significant judgment, the Nagpur bench of the Mumbai High Court ruled that simply saying “I love you” to a woman or a young girl cannot automatically be labeled as sexual harassment — unless there’s a clear and proven sexual intent behind the words.

This observation came while Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke heard a case involving the alleged molestation of a 17-year-old girl by a 25-year-old man from Katol, Nagpur. The man had earlier been convicted by a Sessions Court and sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment in 2017.

However, the High Court bench found the evidence insufficient to support the charge under Sections 354A (sexual harassment) and 354D (stalking) of the IPC and Section 8 of the POCSO Act.

Justice Joshi-Phalke stated that:

“Saying ‘I love you’ is not, in itself, an act of sexual assault under law. For such words to amount to harassment, they must be accompanied by actions that indicate a clear sexual motive.”

The incident dates back to October 2015. As per the prosecution, the accused followed the girl on his motorcycle, asked for her name, and then allegedly held her hand and said “I love you.” She immediately informed her parents, who then lodged a police complaint.

Following this, police filed charges under relevant sections of the IPC and POCSO Act. The lower court convicted the man. However, the High Court’s fresh review of the evidence found no conclusive proof of sexual intent, leading to his acquittal.

The ruling emphasizes the importance of context and clear evidence of intent in such sensitive cases, and has sparked fresh conversations on the fine line between expression and harassment.

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