Sexual Remarks and Threats

If a man says anything sexual to you or sexually threatens you¹ and you feel that it insults or outrages your modesty², it is a crime under the law.

Some examples of sexual remarks are:

• A remark or statement that feels sexual to you.
• An ordinary remark which isn’t exactly sexual in nature but has a sexual implication to it.

Sexual threats can be verbal, gestural or written. There is a higher punishment for such acts. It is a sexual threat if:

• It is sexual and is intended to scare you, hurt you or annoy you.
• The sexual threat is made to warn you of an inappropriate touch or any forceful sexual act which is about to happen.
• Anyone making sexual remarks to you will be punished with jail time up to 1 year with fine³ and anyone making sexual threats will be punished with jail time of minimum 1 year and maximum 5 years along with a fine.⁴

You can complain against such behaviour.

1. Section 354 and 354A, Indian Penal Code, 1860[↩]
2. Section 509, Indian Penal Code, 1860[↩]
3. Section 354A(3), Indian Penal Code, 1860[↩]
4. Section 354, Indian Penal Code, 1860[↩]