Delhi Court Acquits 7 Women in Obscene Dance Case, Wearing Short Clothes not a Crime

A Delhi court acquitted seven women accused of performing an "obscene dance" at a bar, stating that wearing short clothes and dancing are not crimes unless they cause public annoyance.

Booked under Section 294 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, the prosecution failed to prove the act was obscene or annoyed anyone.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neetu Sharma criticized the police for lacking evidence, calling their claims "concocted", and noted no witnesses found the dance annoying. The bar manager, accused of violating an order, was also acquitted due to insufficient evidence. 

The judgment reaffirms women’s right to personal freedom, challenges moral policing, and stresses that legal standards must prevail over subjective morality.