Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code criminalized adultery, treating it as an offence committed by a man against another man (the husband of the woman). Women were seen as passive objects, with no agency, and could not be punished under the law. This archaic provision was widely criticized for being discriminatory and violative of fundamental rights. In 2018, the Supreme Court unanimously struck down Section 497, declaring it unconstitutional. The Court held that criminalizin

The Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan (1997) case was born out of a horrifying incident in which Bhanwari Devi, a social worker in Rajasthan,...