Karnataka HC urges Centre to amend BNSS to ensure rape victims are examined only by female doctors
Bengaluru, Jul 29: The Karnataka High Court has urged the Central government to amend Section 184 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to ensure that adult rape victims are examined only by female doctors, to safeguard their right to privacy.
Justice M G Uma of the single-judge bench directed the Central and State governments to ensure that until the amendment is made, medical examinations of rape victims are conducted by or under the supervision of a female registered medical practitioner.
The court also directed authorities to educate and sensitise stakeholders, including police officials, prosecutors, doctors, medical personnel, and judicial officers, about the importance of handling rape victims with sensitivity.
This directive came while rejecting the bail application filed by a person named Ajay Kumar Bhera, who is accused of rape and attempt to murder.
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Rejecting Bhera's plea, the court noted medical records indicating that the victim had injured the accused during the incident, corroborating her account. Justice Uma stated that the evidence suggested Bhera was responsible for the crime and denied his bail request due to the serious nature of the offence.
The court highlighted that a male medical officer had conducted the victim's medical examination, which lasted about six hours without providing any explanation or opinion.
Emphasising the need for victim-friendly examinations, the court noted that rape victims have a right to privacy that should be respected by police and medical personnel.
Section 164-A of the CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure), which allowed examination by any registered medical practitioner, has been replaced by Section 184 of the BNSS.
The court criticised the unchanged provision, stating it causes significant injustice and embarrassment to sexual assault victims. Female accused have privacy rights under Section 53 of the CrPC (now Section 51 BNSS) which, the court said, should logically extend to victims as well.
The court urged the Additional Solicitor General of India and the State Public Prosecutor to advocate for amending Section 184 of the BNSS and to educate all relevant parties. It also emphasised the need for regular sensitisation of judicial officers and accountability measures for any lapses.
Additionally, the court observed that the hospital's report was illegible, stressing that medical reports are frequently referred to by investigators, prosecutors, defense lawyers, and courts. It directed hospitals and medical practitioners to provide computer-generated or clearly written medical reports.
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'Go back to your own country': Indian-origin taxi driver attacked in Dublin
London, Aug 5 (PTI): An Indian-origin taxi driver based in Ireland for over 23 years has become the latest to be targeted in an unprovoked attack in the capital Dublin, with local police (Gardai) launching an investigation into the violent assault.
Lakhvir Singh, in his 40s, told local media that he picked up two young men in their 20s on Friday night and dropped them at Poppintree, in the Ballymun suburb of Dublin.
Upon arriving at the destination, the men are said to have opened the vehicle door and struck him twice on the head with a bottle. As the suspects fled, they reportedly shouted: "Go back to your own country".
"In 10 years I've never seen anything like this happen," Singh told ‘Dublin Live’.
"I'm really scared now and I'm off the road at the moment. It will be very hard to go back. My children are really scared," he said.
A Dublin police spokesperson said Singh was taken to the city's Beaumont Hospital with injuries determined as not life-threatening.
"Gardaí are investigating an assault reported to have occurred in Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin 11 at approximately 11:45 pm on Friday, 1st August 2025. A man, aged in his 40s, was brought to Beaumont Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injury. Investigations are ongoing," the spokesperson said.
The incident followed an Indian Embassy advisory, also issued on Friday, expressing safety concerns following recent attacks in and around the capital Dublin and urging Indian citizens to take safety precautions.
"There has been an increase in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently,” states the advisory.
“The embassy is in touch with the authorities concerned in Ireland in this regard. At the same time, all Indian citizens in Ireland are advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially at odd hours," the statement reads, adding emergency embassy contact details as 0899423734 and cons.dublin@mea.gov.in.
It came in the wake of a brutal attack on a 40-year-old Indian man at Parkhill Road in the Tallaght suburb of Dublin on July 19, described as “mindless, racist violence” by locals.
The Gardai had opened an investigation into the case and Indian Ambassador to Ireland Akhilesh Mishra was among those who took to social media to express shock over the attack.
“Regarding the recent incident of physical attack on an Indian national that happened in Tallaght, Dublin, the embassy is in touch with the victim and his family. All the requisite assistance is being offered. The embassy is also in touch with the relevant Irish authorities in this regard,” the embassy said in a social media post days after the incident.
A Stand Against Racism protest was also held by the local community in condemnation of what was described as a "vicious racist attack" and to express solidarity with migrants.
Last week, Dr Santosh Yadav took to LinkedIn to post details of a “brutal, unprovoked racist attack”.
The entrepreneur and AI expert stressed that it was not an isolated incident and called for “concrete measures” from the governments of Ireland and India to ensure Indians feel safe to walk the streets of Dublin.
His post revealed that a group of six teenagers attacked him from behind as he walked to his apartment in Dublin.
“This is not an isolated incident. Racist attacks on Indian men and other minorities are surging across Dublin — on buses, in housing estates, and on public streets. Yet, the government is silent. There is no action being taken against these perpetrators. They run free and are emboldened to attack again,” reads Yadav's post.
Fine Gael party Councillor for Tallaght South, Baby Pereppadan, was among those who expressed concern following last month’s attack.
“People need to understand that many Indian people moving to Ireland are here on work permits, to study and work in the healthcare sector or in IT and so on, providing critical skills,” he said.
Another violent anti-Indian attack in Ireland
— Journalist V (@OnTheNewsBeat) August 5, 2025
Taxi driver Lakhvir Singh was attacked with glass bottles while doing his job pic.twitter.com/mtkwhLWISx
