The apex court made this observation while dismissing a plea filed by a man who was sentenced to seven years in jail by the Himachal Pradesh High Court for teasing and compelling a girl to take the extreme step of committing suicide.
Observing that "egoism must succumb to law", a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra asked why women in this country cannot be allowed to live in peace and lead a dignified life with freedom.
"In a civilised society, male chauvinism has no room. The Constitution of India confers the affirmative rights on women and the said rights are perceptible from Article 15. When the right is conferred under the Constitution, it has to be understood that there is no condescension," the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and M M Shantanagoudar, said.
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"A woman has her own space as a man has. She enjoys as much equality under Article 14 of the Constitution as a man does," it said.
"A man should not put his ego or, for that matter, masculinity on a pedestal and abandon the concept of civility. Egoism must succumb to law. Equality has to be regarded as the summum bonum of the constitutional principle in this context," the apex court said in the detailed order.
"The right to live with dignity as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution cannot be violated by indulging in obnoxious act of eve-teasing. It affects the fundamental concept of gender sensitivity and justice and the rights of a woman under Article 14 of the Constitution.
"That apart, it creates an incurable dent in the right of a woman which she has under Article 15 of the Constitution," the bench said.
"It is worthy to note that there cannot be an absolute rule that a person who has suffered 80 per cent burn injuries cannot give a dying declaration," it said.
The man was initially acquitted by the trial court in July 2010 after which the state had approached the high court.
According to the police, the girl's father had lodged an alleged kidnapping and rape case against the man in which he was subsequently acquitted.