Law Has Lost Its Teeth’: Karnataka High Court Judge’s Remark During Sexual Assault Case Sparks Debate
Karnataka, 2nd June 2026: In an ongoing hearing of a sexual assault case in Karnataka, High Court Justice R. Natrajan remarked, “Law has lost its teeth because we don’t deal with offenders firmly. If you chop off a leg or a hand, then people will, perhaps, realise the need to comply with the law. Because we have a democracy, everybody takes advantage of it,” while rejecting the bail appeal of a 23-year-old engineering student accused of assaulting a former classmate in 2023.
The incident has sparked a sharp debate about judicial rhetoric, criminal justice, and the bounds of punishment under a constitutional democracy.
The accused has been in judicial custody since April.
Justice Natrajan also said that crimes were being committed with extreme carelessness because offenders were not being dealt with strictly, comparing the situation to punishments in West Asian countries.
Regarding the case, the defence argued that the accused had already spent two months in custody for a crime he allegedly did not commit, on charges related to incidents that occurred about three years ago.
Responding to the argument, the judge stated, “If you eat salt, you have to drink water too. Let him stay for four or five more days. Let him get used to jail. Who knows, if you’re convicted, you might have to go back to jail.”
The High Court then issued a notice to the state government and scheduled the next hearing for 8 June.
According to the police, the accused asked the woman to accompany him to an apartment under the pretext of discussing friendship and allegedly sexually assaulted her on 12 September 2023. Before filing an official police complaint, the woman reportedly first approached the National Commission for Women.
