Mere Assault on Woman Without Specific Overt Act Towards Rape Does Not Constitute Attempt to Rape: Jharkhand High Court

The Jharkhand High Court has held that merely assaulting or pushing a woman, without a specific act showing an intention or attempt to commit rape, cannot automatically amount to an attempt to rape under Sections 376/511 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. In Shankar Ram v. State of Jharkhand, Justice Pradeep Kumar Srivastava altered the appellant's conviction from attempt to rape under Sections 376/511 IPC to the offence of outraging…