Bombay HC Quashes Case Against Retired DCP For Allegedly Insulting Air Hostess' Modesty

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has quashed a case registered against retired Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Madhukar Sankhe for allegedly insulting the modesty of an air hostess last year, after noting that the dispute was personal and the complainant no longer wished to pursue the matter.

A division bench of Justices Sarang V Kotwal and S M Modak, on May 8, which was made available on Monday, observed, “The dispute between the parties is purely personal in nature. Both of them are residing in the same society, and they are residing together peacefully as of today. No purpose will be served if the prosecution is continued.”

The FIR was registered on August 24, 2024, at the Matunga Police Station under section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with words or gestures intended to insult the modesty of a woman. Sankhe, who retired from the Worli headquarters in 2016, was the secretary of the housing society where the complainant lived.

The incident stemmed from a disagreement in June 2024 when the society building was undergoing repainting. A signboard from a nearby State Bank of India branch had been temporarily placed near the complainant’s parking space, obstructing her car’s movement. On August 6, she approached Sankhe regarding the issue.

According to the FIR, a quarrel ensued, during which Sankhe allegedly shouted at her. When she told him he was speaking inappropriately to a woman.

Following this exchange, the complainant lodged a police complaint. However, during the court proceedings, she submitted an affidavit stating there was no longer any animosity between them.

|Appearing in court, she confirmed, “The quarrel had arisen in the heat of argument and due to misunderstanding,” and added that she had “no objection” to quashing the case. Taking this into consideration, the bench quashed the FIR against Sankhe.