Women have an absolute right to reject; cannot be compelled to love

Supreme Court said on Friday that eve-teasing violates a woman's fundamental rights to live with dignity and she could not be forced to love/like a person who she doesn't want to. It sent out a firm message to the law enforcement agencies to deal with eve-teasers and stalkers sternly. The court passed an order awarding seven-year jail term to a man for harassing his ex-lover who committed suicide (abetment to suicide). The court held that the convict had continuously tainted her self-esteem, leaving her with no option but to take away her life. The court rejected the plea of the convict who contended that the dying declaration of the girl was not reliable as she was 80 percent burnt. It relied upon the testimony of woman's father who had said that the accused was incessantly harassing her. & quot The harassment caused to her had become insufferable. The father had deposed that the girl had told him many times about the various incidents and he had complained to the village head. All this amounts to active part played by the accused. It is not a situation where someone feels humiliated on a singular act. It is a different situation altogether. The young girl living in a village was threatened and teased constantly.& quot a bench of Justices Dipa Misra, A M Khanwilkar and M M Shantanagoudar said. & quot We are at pains to state that in a civilised society, eve-teasing is causing harassment to women at various public places which only shows that the requisite sense of respect for women has not been socially cultivated. She enjoys as much equality under Article 14 of the Constitution as a man does. The right to live with dignity as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution cannot be violated by indulging in the obnoxious act of eve-teasing,& quot the bench said. & quot One is compelled to deliberate why the women in this country cannot be allowed to live in peace, dignity and freedom. It has to be kept in mind that she is entitled to love according to her choice which has been legally recognised. No one can compel a woman to love. She has the absolute right to reject,& quot Justice Misra said.