PPC Section 509 | Insulting modesty or causing sexual harrassment:

Text of PPC Section 509

Insulting modesty or causing sexual harrassment:

Whoever,-

(i)

intending to insult the modesty of any woman, utters any word, makes any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object, intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen, by such woman, or intrudes upon the privacy of such woman;

(ii)

conducts sexual advances, or demands sexual favours or uses verbal or non-verbal communication or physical conduct of a sexual nature which intends to annoy, insult, intimidate or threaten the other person or commits such acts at the premises of workplace, or makes submission to such conduct either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment, or makes submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual a basis for employment decision affecting such individual, or retaliates because of rejection of such behaviour, or conducts such behaviour with the intention of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile,, or offensive working environment;

shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years or with fine up to five hundred thousand rupees or with both.

Explanation 1: Such behaviour might occur in public place, including, but not limited to, markets, public transport, streets or parks, or it might occur in private places including, but not limited to workplaces, private gatherings, or homes.

Explanation 2: Workplace means, the place of work or the premises where an orgnanization or employer operates, this may be a specific building, factory, open area or a larger geographical area where the activities of the organization are carried out. Sexual advances may occur after working hours and outside workplace. It is the access that a perpetrator has to the person being harrassed by virtue of a job situation or job related functions and activities.