Calling Girls 'Item' Is Derogatory As It Objectifies Women In Sexual Manner, Says Mumbai Court

In Mumbai, a special court sentenced a man to 1.5 years imprisonment for "harassing" a minor girl, observing that addressing a woman/girl by "item" is absolutely derogatory and sexually objectifies her.

In the official sentence passed on October 20, the Mumbai court had rejected to show leniency to the accused. It stated that these types of "roadside Romeos" need to be taught a lesson in order to protect all women from any such uncalled-for behaviour.

Mumbai Court Labels 'Item' As Derogatory Term

Special Judge AJ Ansari, who has been designated to hear all cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, held this 25-year-old man, during the time when the incident took place, guilty of outraging the modesty of the 16-year-old girl by calling her an "item" and pulling her hair near her suburban Mumbai residence in July 2015.

"The fact that the accused intentionally caught hold of the victim's hair and pulled it and called her an 'item', in my opinion, will certainly go to prove the fact of him having outraged her modesty," the judge was quoted as saying by The Tribune.

The court also added that the accused's behaviour was "wholly inappropriate", and he called her by the term 'item', which is a term widely used by men/boys generally to address girls in a derogatory manner, as it sexually objectifies them.

'Insulting In Nature'

The special court in Mumbai then went on to add how using the word 'item' to address any female/girl is "obviously insulting in nature".The judge said that the accused's acts were done with sexual intent as the term "item" when utilised to address a female/girl is used to objectify her sexually and nothing other than that.

The court further stated that leniency could not be shown to the 25-year-old here as the case related to the harassment of a 16-year-old minor girl on the street.

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