Outraging Modesty of Women Offences against woman and child have been given precedence over all other offences in a new Chapter-V of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. It criminilises acts such as rape, voyeurism, stalking and insulting the modesty of a woman. It also criminalises sexual intercourse with a woman by deceitful means or making false promises. In BNS, the age differential for minor victims of gang rape has been done away with. Gang rape on a woman below the age of eighteen years is punishable with imprisonment of life or death. Sexual Harassment According to (Section 75 of BNS), Sexual harassment is the: Unwelcome touching or other physical contact Asking or demanding sex or any other sexual activity Making remarks which are of a sexual nature Showing pornographic material which may include videos, magazines, books etc. There is a separate law on sexual harassment at workplaces - The Sexual Harassment of women at workplace (prevention, prohibition and redressal) Act and Rules 2013 . There are provisions in the main criminal law which are different from the special law on sexual harassment: The BNS is not limited to sexual harassment at the workplace, but punishes such harassment done anywhere. The BNS makes it possible to file a criminal complaint if you have been sexually harassed, while the special law gives you the option of seeking civil remedies and damages, involving your office administration. The punishment for the first three kinds of sexual harassment is three years as compared to the fourth type (making sexually coloured remarks) which is one year. Peeping Toms punished According to Section 77 of BNS, it is a crime to look at or capture (say by means of a photograph or video) a woman going about her private acts, where she thinks that no one is watching her. This includes a woman: using a toilet, or who is undressed or in her underwear, or engaged in a sexual act. The legal term for such acts is voyeurism. The punishment is jail time of between one and three years along with a fine. If someone is found guilty of committing the same crime more than one time, the punishment is jail time of between three and seven years along with a fine. Stalking According to BNS, Stalking is - Continuously following a woman or contacting her, Either online or in person Where she has clearly shown she doesn't want the attention The section makes an exception if a person is stalking a woman as part of a legal duty to do so. Example: Jeevan is a police officer tracking down a drugs shipment and has been monitoring emails received by Stuti. This would be covered by the exception. The punishment is jail time of up to three years along with a fine. If someone is found guilty of committing the same crime more than one time, the punishment is jail time of up to five years along with a fine. Source: The Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 Related Resources Laws relating to Sexual Harassment