India, Aug. 10 -- The Delhi high court on Monday observed that a woman's choice of attire cannot be invoked during cross-examination to question her character or shift blame onto her.

A bench of Justice Chandrasekharan Sudha emphasised that her clothing neither diminishes her dignity nor provides any justification or excuse for unlawful conduct directed against her.

"Woman's choice of attire neither diminishes her dignity nor serves as justification or condonation for unlawful conduct directed against her. Questions founded upon regressive notions of how a woman ought to dress have no legitimate place in a court of law and cannot be permitted to become a device for character assassination or for blaming the prosecutrix," the court said....