In Brief
A woman faced sexual assault by a neighbor. When the accused sought bail, the High Court imposed conditions requiring him to perform a Rakhi-tying ceremony at the victim's home and pay customary gifts—framing the assault through a ritualistic "brother-sister" lens. The Supreme Court quashed these conditions, holding that bail conditions in sexual offence cases must never trivialize the crime or mandate victim-offender contact. Courts cannot encourage marriage, compromise, or mediation between accused and victim, nor use language perpetuating gender stereotypes. The judgment mandates gender sensitization training for all judges and bars any reasoning that undermines sexual assault survivors' dignity or judicial impartiality.
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