‘Rakhi-for-bail in sex abuse case a drama, judges must get training in gender sensitisation'

NEW DELHI: Attorney General KK Venugopal on Monday described the bail order by the Madhya Pradesh High Court as a “drama” that had asked an accused to get a ‘rakhi’ tied by a woman who had levelled molestation charges against him.

“The judge seems to have been carried away. This is a drama and it has to condemned,” Venugopal told a bench, headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar. The top law officer suggested to the court that such orders need to be condemned and that judges must get training in gender sensitisation too. Venugopal was assisting the bench with regard to a petition by nine women lawyers to set aside a Madhya Pradesh High Court order granting bail to an accused in a molestation case on the condition that he requests the complainant to tie him a rakhi.

Criticising the High Court order, Venugopal said, “My suggestion is counsel them, train them in gender sensitisation. The judgments by this court on conditions of bail should also be uploaded on all websites so that they know what can be done and what can’t.” The bench agreed with Venugopal’s statements and said that the discretion that a judge can exercise in laying down conditions while granting bail has to be delineated.