Kerala HC Grants Anticipatory Bail To Advocate Accused Of Outraging Woman Lawyer’s Modesty

Ernakulam: The Kerala High Court has granted pre-arrest bail to an advocate accused of outraging the modesty of a fellow lawyer inside a court hall at Palakkad, holding that custodial interrogation was unnecessary given the nature of the allegations and the existence of a cross-complaint registered at the accused's instance against the complainant.

Justice Dr. Kauser Edappagath was hearing an application under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, filed an advocate practising at the Palakkad Court Centre, seeking anticipatory bail in Crime No.942/2026 of Palakkad Town South Police Station, registered for an offence under Section 75(1)(i) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

The prosecution case was that on 05.08.2026, at the court hall of Additional District and Sessions Court-V, Palakkad, the applicant assaulted the de facto complainant, also an advocate, by pressing her buttocks with sexual intent as she was leaving the court hall to write a petition, thereby outraging her modesty.

Counsel for the applicant submitted that he was innocent and had been falsely implicated, and that no material was on record connecting him with the alleged offence. The learned Senior Public Prosecutor opposed the application, submitting that the incident occurred as part of the applicant's intentional criminal conduct and that his release at this stage would affect the course of the investigation.

The court noted that both the applicant and the de facto complainant were lawyers, and that a separate crime had already been registered against the complainant and others at the instance of the applicant. Considering the allegations made against the applicant, the court held that "his custodial interrogation seems unnecessary", and found it an appropriate case to grant pre-arrest bail.

The application was accordingly allowed, subject to conditions requiring the applicant, in the event of arrest, to be released on a bond of Rs.1,00,000 with two solvent sureties, to fully cooperate with the investigation including deemed police custody for discovery if required, to appear before the investigating officer every Saturday between 10.00 a.m. and 11.00 a.m. and as otherwise required, not to commit any offence of a like nature while on bail, not to contact or influence prosecution witnesses, and not to leave the State of Kerala without the trial court's permission.

Appearances:

For the Petitioner: Sri M. Revikrishnan, Advocate.

For the Respondent/State: Smt. Aneeda Beegum, Senior Public Prosecutor.

Case Title: Dinesh K. vs. State of Kerala, Bail Appl. No.5008 of 2026