- The Supreme Court in Manisha Ravindran Panpatil v. He State of Maharashtra & Ors., while reinstating a disqualified female Sarpanch, flagged discriminatory attitudes towards women in public office. The Court highlighted systemic prejudices, particularly in rural areas, where women leaders often face orchestrated efforts to remove them. The Court emphasised the need for authorities to recognise women's struggles in securing such positions and to avoid casual dismissals based on unverified claims, urging for a more supportive environment for women in public roles.
- The Allahabad High Court in Adarsh Yadav v. State of U.P. & Anr. allowed the trial of a man for dowry death and cruelty under Sections 304-B and 498A of the Indian Penal Code, despite the man claiming to be only in a live-in relationship with the deceased woman. The Court refused to quash the charges, acknowledging that the woman's death by suicide raised concerns of dowry harassment even within the context of a live-in relationship.
- The Calcutta High Court directed AIIMS Kalyani to conduct the post-mortem of a nine-year-old child rape and murder victim from Bengal's Jayanagar. The Court also instructed that charges under the POCSO Act be included, noting sexual offences had been committed. The Court emphasised the need for proper legal provisions at the investigation stage and ordered that the accused be produced before a POCSO Special Court for further investigation.
- The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) has rejected a Supreme Court directive urging the reservation of 4 out of 10 Executive Committee posts for women lawyers, including the Treasurer's post. Despite the Supreme Court's recommendation, the DHCBA opposed all forms of reservation, with the decision made by a majority male turnout. This development comes as the Supreme Court is set to hear the matter again, alongside two related petitions seeking reservations for women in bar associations across Delhi.
- The Gujarat Legal Services Authority has launched a year-long gender sensitisation campaign titled "Ehsaas - Nyay Ka Sab Ke Liye". The initiative, inaugurated at the Gujarat High Court, focuses on gender-neutral workplaces and includes seminars, discussions on gender stereotypes, and training for stakeholders like judges, lawyers, and government officials. Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal emphasised the importance of sensitisation for creating equitable environments. The campaign also saw the launch of a website for Internal Complaints Committees.
- A petition has been filed in the Kerala High Court urging the implementation of the Justice K. Hema Committee's recommendations to address sexual harassment and labor rights issues within the Malayalam film industry. The plea includes requests for establishing robust Internal Complaints Committees under the PoSH Act and implementing measures to curb drug and alcohol use on film sets.
- The Information & Broadcasting Ministry suspended choreographer Jani Master's National Award amid sexual assault allegations. The suspension followed after a complaint was filed by a former assistant of choreographer Jani Master alleged he sexually assaulted her during a 2020 work trip and continued to harass her while threatening her to remain silent. The Narsingi Police registered a case against him under various IPC sections, including rape, later adding relevant POCSO Act sections upon discovering she was a minor at the time.
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