The Madras High Court (HC) recently ruled that hugging and kissing between teenage couples or young adults is perfectly natural and does not constitute an offence under Section 354-A(1)(i) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The court made the observation on November 4 while dismissing a case against a 21-year-old youth accused of hugging and kissing his 19-year-old girlfriend while the two met one night in November 2022.

In his verdict, Justice N Anand Venkatesh noted that in order to be charged under Section 354-A(1)(i) of the IPC, a man must engage in physical contact and make unwelcome and explicit sexual advances.

"Even if the allegations are taken as it is, it is quite natural for two persons in the teenage, who are having a love affair to hug or kiss each other. By no stretch, this can constitute an offence under Section 354-A(1)(i) of IPC", the single-judge bench noted in his order, Bar and Bench reports.

After noting that continuing criminal proceedings against the youngster would result in an abuse of the legal process, the court dismissed the case against him.

What happened

The court was hearing a plea made by a 21-year-old boy seeking to have criminal proceedings against him quashed.

The prosecution alleged that the couple had been in a relationship since 2020. On November 13, 2022, they met and chatted from 9 pm to midnight, with the boy hugging and kissing her.

The girl told her parents about her relationship with the boy, and asked the latter to marry her. However, he refused and began ignoring her, prompting the complaint against the boy.

The court observed that the young couple was admittedly having a love affair, and that it was entirely natural for them to hug and kiss each other — thus quashing the case against the boy.