“I Love You” Is Not a Crime, Rules Bombay High Court in Nagpur Acquittal
After 8 years of legal battle, court says one-time love expression isn’t sexual harassment without clear intent

Nagpur, July 1: In a courtroom that’s seen its fair share of heavy cases, today’s verdict from the Bombay High Court’s Nagpur Bench felt surprisingly personal, almost street-level. A 35-year-old man walked out free after nearly a decade of being branded a molester — all because he said “I love you” to a 17-year-old girl. No obscene gestures, no touching beyond holding her hand, no force. Just three words. That’s what started it all.
Back in 2015, this man — then in his mid-20s — allegedly held the girl’s hand on a street near her school and said those three words. That’s it. Her parents lodged a case under POCSO and Section 354-A of IPC, both serious offences aimed at tackling sexual harassment. In 2017, a trial court found him guilty and sent him to jail for three years. He served part of his time before appealing.
Now, nearly eight years later, the High Court says that conviction never should’ve happened in the first place.
“Words Alone Can’t Be a Crime,” Says Court
Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke, who heard the appeal, made it clear: just saying “I love you” — without anything sexually suggestive or repeated pressure — doesn’t prove intent to harass or assault. “You can’t jail someone for an emotional expression unless there’s more to it,” is what the judgment essentially boils down to.
From a legal point of view, it’s a big deal. The Court said for a case to stick under IPC 354-A or POCSO, there needs to be something more — like inappropriate physical contact, dirty gestures, sexual comments, or a clear attempt to shame or intimidate. Here, that wasn’t the case.
The man had no prior record. There was no pattern of stalking or harassment. He didn’t approach the girl again. According to the court, the entire incident — while perhaps uncomfortable — didn’t amount to a criminal act.
Ground Reality: Love Confused with Lust?
You walk the bylanes of Nagpur, or anywhere in India really, and you’ll hear stories like this — boys fumbling with emotions, saying things they maybe shouldn’t, girls unsure how to react, parents alarmed. But not every misstep is a crime. That’s where the High Court drew the line.
Lawyers at the High Court said the case was poorly built from the start. “No medical report, no repeated harassment, nothing that shows bad intent. But the man still spent years in jail,” one of the advocates familiar with the case told Hindustan Herald. “There has to be space for emotional immaturity without dragging someone through a criminal case.”
But not everyone agrees.
Women’s groups say this kind of ruling needs to be handled carefully. “A lot of harassment begins just like this — with words,” said a local activist who works with teen girls in Vidarbha. “We don’t want the message to go out that boys can say anything and get away with it.”
Still, even she agrees the law must distinguish between real threats and awkward, one-time situations. “Intent matters. Repeated pressure matters. One line, said once, without follow-up — maybe that’s something society can deal with, not the courts.”
A Judgment That Could Change How Cases Are Filed
Legal experts say this ruling might now become a reference point in many small-town cases — especially where boys are accused based on a single conversation or vague gesture. The takeaway? Without proof of sexual intent, there’s no criminal case.
In courtrooms across Maharashtra, especially in semi-urban and rural zones, minor complaints often escalate because police file FIRs under the strictest possible laws to be “on the safe side.” That includes POCSO, which applies even if the girl is just a few months underage. Once filed, the case takes years — and the accused, guilty or not, loses years of life, money, and reputation.
Even here in Nagpur, people recall cases where an innocent conversation turned into a legal nightmare. “Ek baar ‘I love you’ bol diya, aur zindagi barbaad ho gayi” — one lawyer quipped outside the courthouse. For many, it felt like justice had finally stepped out of the textbooks and into the real world.
For the Accused, A Decade Lost
The man, who has kept a low profile since his release, reportedly broke down when told the court had acquitted him. “Bas ek baar bola tha. Zindagi bhar ke liye criminal bana diya,” he reportedly told his lawyer.
For now, he’s free. But what he lost — years of stigma, jail time, broken relationships — can’t be rolled back by a court order.
The High Court’s message, though, is clear. Not every emotional slip-up is predatory. Not every “I love you” is lust in disguise. In a country where emotions often get tangled with criminality, this ruling might just bring some clarity.
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Ravi Juneja is a student journalist currently pursuing his degree from Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication. With a passion for factual reporting and public interest stories, he covers a wide spectrum of news at Hindustan Herald, including politics, health, technology, entertainment, and global affairs. Ravi is committed to delivering balanced, research-backed journalism with a strong sense of responsibility and independence.