Supreme Court Seeks States & UTs Response In PIL Seeking Measures To Curb Rising Crimes Against Women

Today, the Supreme Court, while hearing the PIL, sought response of from the States and Union Territories to the Writ Petition and particularly the prayer sought in it. 

The Bench of Justice B. V Nagarathna and Justice R. Mahadevan heard the matter and sought the response of States and Union Territories.

At the outset, Justice Nagarathna noted the appearance of the States and Union Territories.

The Bench noted that apart from Uttar Pradesh and Mizoram, all States were present.

"States, have you gone through the prayers?", asked Justice Nagarathna.

The Counsels appearing for States requested to give opportunity to file their reply in the matter.

"On the request of made Counsel for the States as well as on behalf of all the Union Territories, being represented by the ASG, as well as the Counsels appearing for other UTs, to file their response to the Writ Petition and particularly the prayers sought by the Petitioner, within a period of four weeks from today", Justice Nagarathna recorded in the Order.

The Court asked to inform the States of Uttar Pradesh and Mizoram to appear.

Accordingly, the matter was listed in November, 2025.

Background 

Earlier, the Supreme Court issued notice in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) raising concerns over the increasing number of crimes against women, particularly rapes.

In April, 2025, While hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the alarming rise in crimes against women, the Supreme Court today strongly emphasized the need for a multi-pronged sensitization campaign that extends beyond educational institutions and targets the wider population, especially those who are uneducated or have dropped out of the formal education system.

The petition filed by Senior Advocate Aabad Harshad Ponda, who has over 32 years of experience in criminal law and practices primarily in the Bombay High Court, has sought the Court’s intervention to address the root causes of these heinous crimes and to ensure the effective implementation of existing laws. The petition points out that despite India’s robust legal framework, which includes stringent laws against sexual offences, the frequency of crimes such as rape continues to rise, reflecting a failure in the proper enforcement and communication of these laws.

The petition notes that despite more stringent rape laws introduced after the 2012 Nirbhaya case, including harsher punishments, the rate of such crimes remains alarmingly high. "Despite the rape laws being made more stringent post Nirbhaya, this crime only seems to be on the rise. Therefore, reacting to such situations by making the punishments for rape more stringent with a knee-jerk reaction is no solution to the problem," the petition reads. 

The petitioner has prayed for the following directions:

1. To all educational institutions across India, including government-aided schools, to incorporate penal laws related to rape and offenses against women and children under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act into their syllabuses.

2. For the introduction of moral training, which would promote gender equality and educate young boys on respecting the rights and dignity of women and girls. The aim is to change the mindset of boys from a young age, thereby preventing future crimes.

3. It calls for schools to educate children on their rights, particularly in relation to reporting incidents of domestic violence or crimes occurring within their households or surroundings, without fear of retaliation. By raising awareness, the petitioner argues, wrongdoers can be held accountable, and justice can be served.

4. It seeks orders for local government authorities at various levels, including talukas, districts, and cities, to undertake public education campaigns through advertisements, seminars, pamphlets, and other means. These campaigns would aim to spread awareness about penal laws related to rape and sexual offenses, as well as emphasize the importance of gender equality.

5. It emphasizes that public awareness campaigns should be launched across all forms of media, including print, electronic, and online platforms. It calls for regular and repeated messages to be broadcast through television, social media, and other platforms, educating the public about the legal consequences of committing rape and highlighting the importance of treating men and women equally.

6. It also proposes the use of popular public figures in advertisements to raise awareness about zero tolerance for rape and the need to ensure that both men and women, as well as boys and girls, are treated equally in society.

Cause Title: Aabad Harshad Ponda v. Union of India & Ors. [W.P. (Crl.) No. 382/2024, Diary No. 41037 / 2024]