The Supreme Court on Wednesday put on hold an order passed by the Bombay High Court that acquitted a man after observing that groping without “skin-to-skin contact” does not constitute as sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde stayed the acquittal on a mention made by the Attorney General of India KK Venugopal. He submitted that the judgement was “unprecedented” and “is likely to set a dangerous precedent”.Justice Bobde asked Venugopal to file a petition against the judgement. The court also issued notice to the accused in the case, and sought his response in two weeks.

In a judgement passed on January 19, the Bombay High Court had ruled that groping a minor’s breast without removing their top did not fall into the category of sexual assault defined under Section 7 of the Act. A bench of Justice Pushpa Ganediwala was hearing an appeal against the conviction in a case where a man had allegedly taken a minor girl to his house on the pretext of offering her a fruit, pressed her breasts and partially stripped her.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday put on hold an order passed by the Bombay High Court that acquitted a man after observing that groping without “skin-to-skin contact” does not constitute as sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde stayed the acquittal on a mention made by the Attorney General of India KK Venugopal. He submitted that the judgement was “unprecedented” and “is likely to set a dangerous precedent”.Justice Bobde asked Venugopal to file a petition against the judgement. The court also issued notice to the accused in the case, and sought his response in two weeks.

In a judgement passed on January 19, the Bombay High Court had ruled that groping a minor’s breast without removing their top did not fall into the category of sexual assault defined under Section 7 of the Act. A bench of Justice Pushpa Ganediwala was hearing an appeal against the conviction in a case where a man had allegedly taken a minor girl to his house on the pretext of offering her a fruit, pressed her breasts and partially stripped her.