No out of court settlement in sexual assault cases: HC

Kochi: The High Court on Friday held that cases relating to outraging the modesty of women cannot be settled out of court.

'Such efforts are liable to be thrown to the dustbin', Justice A Kemal Pasha observed in an order while hearing a case in which a man had allegedly attempted to rape his minor daughter.

Naushad of Kollam has approached the high court seeking to quash the case against him. While the investigation in the case was going on, Naushad's wife filed an affidavit supporting the petitioner and said no such incident took place.

Rejecting the affidavit, the court said it was a grave case. The law does not enable any such agreements between the parties, it said and directed the police to continue with the investigation.