PIL seeks dress code for women in Mumbai to stop rape

A senior citizen has petitioned the Bombay high court to direct the state government to take measures to protect women against sexual assault and in this context to also consider a dress code for women.

Chandrakant Pallav, 60, a social worker, said in a public interest litigation that incidents of offences against women were reported almost daily and it was very disturbing to read these reports. Therefore, it is necessary that the government take strong measures to curb this trend at least in Mumbai.

On Thursday, a division bench of judges Abhay Thipsay and AS Chandurkar directed the state to file its reply within a week.

Pallav resides in Kurla and in his younger days was even a trade union leader.

"Earlier women were properly dressed. But nowadays youth wear short dresses on the pretext that it is fashionable. Clothes, instead of covering the body, are used to attract people," Pallav stated in his petition.

He also referred to Haryana, where the Khap Panchayat had set a rule for girls aged below 10 to not wear jeans or use mobile phones, and argued for a similar norm in Mumbai to avoid assaults against women.

The petitioner asked the court to direct the state to take such measures and any other steps it thinks appropriate in this respect.