F*** off is now declared vulgar slang by the Delhi Court. According to the court, it is a sexually coloured remark and is offensive.
Additional Sessions Judge, Sanjay Sharma, on October 29, in his order, said that the word ‘F*** Off’ is American vulgar slang. The court said this while upholding the charges of sexual harassment against a man who is accused of using abusive language against a woman in 2019.
In Defence Of The Accused
The lawyer of the accused argued that his client did not make any sexually coloured remarks. The word is commonly used in universities and colleges, and in society, at large.
He also pleaded that the meaning of the said word is defined in the Cambridge Dictionary (UK) as “… To leave or go away, used especially as a rude way of telling someone to go away…”
'F**K Off' Is Sexually Coloured Remark, Not Used In Indian Society To Ask Anyone To Leave: Delhi Court In Sexual Harassment Case @nupur_0111 https://t.co/atcldijMmM
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) November 5, 2022
Also Read: ResearchED: Delhi High Court Passes Split Verdict On Criminalizing Marital Rape
The lawyer insisted that his client merely asked the complainant to leave the site, then and there, by saying the f-word. He argued that the accused did not mean it as a sexually colored remark.
The Argument Of The Complainant
The prosecution argued that the word f*** off is sexually colored and must be interpreted in its ordinary sense. It was also brought to the court’s notice that the accused “along with other persons entered into the woman’s house and threatened her and her family to throw them out.”
The prosecution had evidence against the accused. The prosecution also told the court that the petitioner had also referred to the woman as ‘bazaru aurat.’
The Court’s Verdict
As reported by The Indian Express, the court said, “In Indian society, schools or colleges, this word is not used to ask anyone to leave or go away. Moreover, given the facts and circumstances of the incident, it cannot be said that the petitioner was merely intending to ask the complainant to leave or go away. In an ordinary sense, the said word is abusive, offensive, and humiliating.”
Earlier in August, Mahila Court had charged the accused under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), and 509 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman).
Delinking the word f*** off from the discourse of the case and linking it with slang to rinse off charges was a technique used by the accused. The question arises- Are the slangs cool and American?
Image Credits: Google Images
Feature image designed by Saudamini Seth
Sources: The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Live Law
Find the blogger: Katyayani Joshi
This post is tagged under: American slang, f word, court, Delhi, sexual harassment, assault, misogyny, sexually coloured remark, offensive, Indian Society, judgment, Mahila Court, Delhi Court
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