Society, Rights & Justice · India
Bombay High Court flags use of survivors' sexual history in rape trials
Published
The Bombay High Court's judgment in the Tarun Tejpal case criticised the trial court's failure to stop questioning about the complainant's past sexual history, despite legal restrictions on using such material to attack credibility. Experts cited in the available report say the practice continues to influence rape trials. The account concerns courtroom procedure and does not imply findings beyond the judgment discussed.
Why it matters
Allowing prohibited sexual-history evidence can deter reporting and undermine equal treatment of complainants. The High Court's criticism may influence how trial judges enforce evidentiary safeguards in future sexual-offence cases.
Evidence assessment
The report grounds its account in observations attributed to the Bombay High Court judgment and expert analysis. The full judgment is not separately supplied here, and the prevalence of similar practices across courts is not quantified.
Medium confidence — The central development is supported by the named report, while important outcomes or primary records are not fully available.
Coverage assessment
Unknown across 1 source desk.
One distinct reporting source supports this selection; broader coverage is not established by the supplied evidence.