Moral police

Laws

In India, the Sections 292 to 294 of the Indian Penal Code are used to deal with obscenity. Most of these laws date back to 1860. The Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code deals with sales and distribution of obscene books and other material. It criminalises materials like books and paintings if it is deemed to be "lascivious or appeals to the prurient interest". The Section 292 was amended in 1969 to exclude material that are for public good (like condom ads), scientific material, art and religious figures. Police also use Section 292 of the IPC to file cases against film posters and advertisement hoardings that are deemed to be "obscene".

The Section 293 deals with the sale of obscene material to people under 20. The Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code deals with "obscene acts and songs" and it states that:

Whoever, to the annoyance of others

(a) Does any obscene act in any public place, or
(b) Sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place,

Shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine, or with both.

There is no proper definition of an obscene act and it is open to interpretation. It is frequently used by the police to justify acts of moral policing.

Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (also known as Prevention of Immoral Traffic Act or PITA) was originally passed to prevent human trafficking. It allows police to raid hotels if they suspect a sex racket is being run there. Police have used this law to raid hotels and arrest consenting couples.

India's obscenity laws have also been frequently compared to the Hicklin test. Despite demands to criminalize moral policing, advisories issued against it in various courts including the Supreme Court, and policies against it followed by certain departments, there are no laws, due to which such incidents continue to happen.

Notable incidents

By vigilante groups, various organizations and mobs

Moral policing by vigilante groups, various organizations and mobs in India is a common occurrence. Motives for such incidents are protection of religious or cultural identity and imposition of personal views and moral codes on everyone involving, for example, religious views, objection to inter-faith or inter-caste relationships, cohabitation or live-in relationships, views on women, views on gambling and alcoholism, and public display of affection between consenting adults. Often these views and sentiments are heavily politicized and is sometimes also reflected in laws and also gains support from officials ranging from police officers to judges. Religious heads and organizations sometimes issue statements ordering compliance with moral code in reference to their religion, excommunication or even support for violence against offenders. Individuals and organizations sometimes pursue legal actions against offending people and organize protests with many instances turning to violence.

• The 1996 Miss World pageant was held in Bangalore. It faced criticism from protestors who claimed that event was demeaning women and India's culture. Several self-immolation threats were made. The police arrest 1,500 protestors, including several from the BJP, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Communist Party of India. One man died in a self-immolation attempt.
• 2008 Imphal bombing: In October 2008, an explosion occurred at Ragailong, a tribal village near Imphal where people had gathered to play a traditional gambling game. Seventeen people were killed, and many more injured, in the blast. The Kangleipak Communist Party (Military Council) claimed responsibility for the blast, stating they wanted to stop the game because it "affects Manipuri culture adversely".
• 2009 Mangalore pub attack: On 24 January 2009, members of the Sri Ram Sena barged into the pub "Amnesia – The Lounge" in Mangalore, Karnataka, and beat up a group of young women and men, claiming the women should not be drinking in a public place.
• 2012 Mangalore homestay attack: On 28 July 2012, activists belonging to the Hindu Jagarana Vedike attacked a birthday party at an unlicensed homestay in Mangalore, Karnataka. The 12 people at the party, including 5 girls, were allegedly beaten, stripped and molested. The faces of some girls were blackened. The activists claimed the youngsters were consuming alcohol and were involved in "some indecent activities".
• In February 2013, three girls who were members of a rock band in Jammu and Kashmir began receiving threats and hate messages on the internet. The Grand Mufti of Kashmir, Bashir-ud-din Farooqi, issued a fatwa against them, asking them to stop such immoral activities with support from All Parties Hurriyat Conference and Dukhtaran-e-Millat, and the girls eventually shut down the band. In a similar incident, local authorities in the Malda district of West Bengal cancelled a women's football match, featuring national team players in March 2015, after Muslim residents and local maulvis issued a fatwa against it, objecting to women playing sports.
• Kiss of Love protests: On 23 October 2014, a restaurant in Kozhikode was attacked and vandalised by members identified as part of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, a youth wing of Bharatiya Janata Party. The attackers claimed that eatery was facilitating immoral activities. The attack came after JaiHind TV, a local Malayalam-language TV channel owned by Indian National Congress, broadcast a report claiming that some coffee shops and restaurants in Kozhikode had become centres of "immoral activities" in a series of events leading to Kiss of Love protest. On March 8, 2017 Moral policing happened in marine drive Kochi against the kiss of love activists. As the ‘moral police’ unleashed attack on a few couples who were reluctant to disperse, about 20 other couples present at the spot fled in fear. ‘‘Some of the couples were seen pleading to let them go. But the group abused some of the females and caned them,’’ said an eyewitness.
• In 2017, international organization Human Rights Watch reported that Indian authorities should promptly investigate and take action against the self-appointed "cow protectors" involved in a phenomenon known as cow vigilantism, many linked to extremist Hindu groups, who have carried out attacks against Muslims and Dalits over rumors of selling, buying or killing of cows for beef. Members of the BJP have denied supporting cow slaughter vigilantism although it has been criticized for stoking inflammatory rhetoric over cow slaughter.
• On June 10, 2025, a social media influencer Kanchan Tiwari, also known as ‘Kamal Kaur Bhabi', was murdered by three assailants for finding her content to be obscene. The incident drew divided opinion by the Sikh community with Giani Malkit Singh, the head Granthi of Akal Takht, which is the highest temporal seat of Sikhism, claiming "If someone from another religion changes their name and indulges in such acts to defame the Sikh community, the person should meet the same fate (as Kamal Tiwari). Nothing wrong has happened". Police officials requested people to approach them with evidence of any wrongdoing and that its social media analysis centre (SMAC) and a round-the-clock cyber-patrolling unit (CPU) will remove posts with potential to disturb communal harmony following a three-tier filtering process.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is often notably opposed through violent means by Hindutva militant groups like Shiv Sena, Sri Ram Sena, and Sangh Parivar organizations such as Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Hindu Munnani, also political organizations like Hindu Makkal Katchi and organizations with political affiliation such as Shiv Sena affiliated Bharatiya Kamgar or CPI-M affiliated Students' Federation of India. Couples are often beaten up for holding hands or kissing in public. Vigilante groups have been known to attack gift and greeting card shops prior on the occasion. Events organized in recognition of Valentine's Day are often vandalized by mobs organized through such groups. Couples are secretly videographed to be shared online or threatened with as intimidation or pursuing police complaint under the country's public display of affection law. Conservative Islamic organizations such as Students Islamic Organisation of India, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Raza Academy and Girls Islamic Organisation are known for staging protests and calling for boycott of the date. Leaders of such organizations hold the position that it an attack of the west on Indian culture and that it is attracting youth for commercial gain. Occasionally, the police also try to restrict these groups although such groups remain to be active.

By police

Police authorities often take actions permitted through vague and unclear laws to file complaints against individuals or even organizations for various 'immoral' activities. For example, kissing, hugging or even holding hands in public have been subject to complaint as public display of affection is a punishable offense with maximum 3 months imprisonment and/or fine under section 292 and section 294 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita which does not define but rather leaves to the discretion of the courts to decide what constitutes as an offending action. Politicians cite Information Technology (IT) Act to call for monitoring and blocking of social media for 'vulgar' content under cyber wing of police departments due to the power it grants as well as its unclear definitions, having the potential to emerge as new methods for censorship. Despite the repeal of section 66A of the Act in 2015 by the Supreme Court, most police departments continued to use it. Following increasing incidents of moral policing involving police officers, the Supreme Court of India issued an advisory against indulging in any kind of moral policing by police officers in December 2022.

• In September 2000, Mumbai Police banned kissing in the Marine Drive area citing Section of 110 Mumbai Police Act, 1951 which allows the police to interfere in "disorderly behaviour." The decree was later withdrawn after protests.
• On 19 December 2005, police personnel raided a public park in Meerut, accompanied by cameras crews from TV channels. They attacked couples sitting in the park in front of cameras. The raid was termed "Operation Majnu" (named after the folklore) and it was claimed by the police that the purpose was to check sexual harassment. On 29 November 2011, the Ghaziabad police launched its own "Operation Majnu". The police caught couples in parks and made the men do sit-ups in front of TV cameras. The head of the operation an officer called Alka Pandey said it was to prevent "innocent girls being trapped by boys with evil motives".
• On 6 August 2015, Malwani police in Mumbai, raided hotels and guest houses near Aksa Beach and Madh Island, and detained about 40 couples. Most of them were consenting couples in private rooms, but they were charged under Section 110 (Indecent behaviour in public) of the Bombay Police Act and fined ₹1,200 (US$12). Only three cases were filed under Prevention of Immoral Traffic Act. Following a backlash and criticism, Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria ordered an inquiry into the raids and subsequently, passed a department wide order not to use the Section 110 of the Bombay Police Act, 1951 which is an offense of Public Indecency, to harass citizens and moral police them.
• In 2021, Chennai Police intervened in a case regarding a lesbian couple, who willingly fled their houses fearing interrogation and harassment. The couple approached the Madras High Court; the verdict passed by judge N Anand Venkatesh ruled in their favor, ruling the need to reform and introduce a specific clause while dealing with same sex couples. Furthermore, in the interim ruling, Judge Venkatesh prohibited Conversion Therapy, besides suggesting comprehensive measures to sensitize the society and remove prejudices against the LGBTQIA+ community.

Anti-Romeo squads

During 2017 election cycle in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP promised to form 'anti-Romeo squads' with plain clothes officers stationed near universities to check crime against women in its manifesto. Within days of assuming the role of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 2017, Yogi Adityanath, enforced 'anti-Romeo squad' in the police department for safety of women and young girls from sexual harassment, indecent behavior and eve-teasing. Its officers were tasked with patrolling universities, cinema halls, parks and other public places in plain clothes. The initiative does not clearly define the term 'Romeo' in its manifesto, leading to broad interpretation by police officers and harassment of couples in consensual relationships, as well as extortion. Reports emerged of overreach involving on-spot enforcement of punishments for boys consisting of sit-ups, murga punishment and also tonsure before changing its policy. Due to such incidents, the Police force and the Government came under fire from media for such incidents of moral policing, as well as misuse of authority, eventually demanding that the squads be disbanded. Lucknow high court squashed a PIL alleging that officers were not following guidelines and Allahabad High court denied overreach of authority and called the move as constitutional, terming it as preventive policing. From March 2017 to February 2025, the anti-romeo squad has checked over 40 million persons and registered 24 thousand cases against 30 thousand individuals, while it registered 6 cases a day at a period.

In March 2025, shortly following the election of BJP led government in Delhi, it announced the formation of 'Shishtachar' which is said to function similarly to anti-Romeo squads in Uttar Pradesh, within the Delhi police. However, the department operates on strict instructions against imposing morals and ethics on the public and to only focus on women's safety, and is subject to regular reviews to prevent misuse. The initiative has also been received positively.

By the Governing bodies and Judiciary systems

Restrictions on night life and alcohol

Throughout India, restrictions have been place by some state governments on timings for pubs, bars and other establishments that sell liquor.

• The 2005 ban on dance bars in Maharashtra was considered to be an act of moral policing. Prior to the ban, the state government had claimed that the bars had a "corrupting influence on youth and compromised the moral standards of local men". As a result of the ban thousands of women employed by the 750 bars in the state lost their jobs and many were forced into prostitution. In June 2011, the state raised the legal age of drinking to 25, from previous 21. Furthermore, an old law called "Bombay Prohibition of Foreign Liquor Act, 1949", mandates anyone seeking to buy, possess or consume alcohol to obtain a special permit.
• The state of Karnataka has a law dating back to 1967, called Rule 11(1) of the "Karnataka Excise Licenses Rules of 1967", which prohibits dancing in establishments which serve alcohol. In July 2014, the Karnataka High Court asked the government of amend the law, stating that it was unconstitutional as it violated the Freedom of Expression. This law had been used by the local police to ban dancing in bars and clubs, especially in Bangalore.

Opposition to sex education in schools

The Adolescence Education Programme (AEP) was a sex education program designed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (India) and National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) to implement the policies of the National AIDS Control Programme II (NACP II). However, it faced opposition in various states, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Rajasthan.

• In February 2007, Gujarat government in a press release stated that it would not be introducing sex education in the state. It stated that the books suggested in the program by the Central government were inappropriate for children. However, in April 2010, it reintroduced sex education in a diluted form.
• In March 2007, Maharashtra government banned sex education in schools. The ban came after the ruling and opposition Members of the Legislative Assembly protested in the state assembly claiming that western countries had forced the Central government to implement the program.
• In April 2007, the Karnataka Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Basavaraj Horatti said that the program has been put on hold after complaints from teachers. The teachers had complained that the books was oriented towards increasing the sales of condoms, and that the illustrations were against Indian culture and sexually provocative.
• In May 2007, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan banned sex education in schools claiming that sex education has no place in Indian culture.

Cases against personalities

Various cases of obscenity have been filed against notable film directors, actors, actresses, models and personalities for their work, as well as against works of art, books and media.

• Shilpa Shetty and Richard Gere kissing incident: In 2007, when Richard Gere kissed Shilpa Shetty on her cheeks on a live broadcast as part of an AIDS awareness campaign, a complaint was registered against both the actors resulting in a local court issuing an arrest warrant for Richard Gere which was cleared in 2008 by the Supreme Court of India terming the ruling as 'cheap publicity' while the case involving the actress for 'failure to deny his advances' was dismissed in 2022, 15 years after the incident, with the court describing the actress as a "victim of unwanted advances". Since the concerning sections of law leaves to the discretion of the courts in deciding what constitutes as indecent, despite assertions that kissing in public is not obscene in many such landmark cases by the Supreme Court of India, it continues to be in use to rule against such cases.
• On 10 February 2025, podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, known as BeerBiceps, appearing as a guest judge in India's Got Latent asked the following question to a contestant: "Would you rather watch your parents have sex every day for the rest of your life or join in once to make it stop forever?". Due to its vulgar nature, various personalities involved in the episode faced public criticism as well as having FIR filed against for "promoting obscenity" and using offensive language. The controversy as well as the politicized nature of the incident lead to cancellation of the show, arrest two personalities involved in the show who have been granted bail and protection from arrest, death threats including a bounty by a far-right Hindutva group, rape and acid attack threats on a female cast member, as well as Supreme Court recommendation for Union to draft regulations for online content. The incident has sparked criticism of hypocrisy of the judiciary and police about not taking any legal action against political figures who have made derogatory comments about women and hate-speech in the past as well as concerns of the BJP government spreading moral panic and using the controversy to tighten internet censorship in India.

A list of notable film directors, actors, actresses and models who have been subject to obscenity cases for their work includes Milind Soman, Madhu Sapre, Pooja Bhatt, Madhuri Dixit, Mamta Kulkarni, Karisma Kapoor, Tabassum Hashmi, Raveena Tandon, Juhi Chawla, Mamta Kulkarni, Reema Sen, Aishwarya Rai, Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar, Twinkle Khanna, Vidya Balan, Karan Johar, Arjun Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone.

Censorship

In India, there are various restrictions on content, with an official view towards "maintaining communal and religious harmony" which sometimes leans towards moral policing. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) or the Censor Board, is tasked with regulating the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the "Cinematograph Act, 1952", which has been accused of moral policing by filmmakers on multiple occasions and has been criticized for erring caution to protests by moral police, although the former chief of the Censor Board, Sharmila Tagore, has defended the body against such claims. Filmmakers have reported a more positive experience with the board's Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) where filmmakers can appeal decisions of the censor board in front of a judiciary panel. The FCAT which had been historically more progressive than CBFC and responsible to overtuning CBFC decisions on many occasions, was abolished in 2021 under the Tribunal Reforms Ordinance, 2021.

• Bandit Queen (1994), was initially subjected to over 100 cuts involving adult language, rape scenes and frontal nudity by the CBFC but was overturned upon appealing to the FCAT, which upheld that the rape scenes was intended to create revulsion and claimed that "to delete or even to reduce these climactic visuals would be a sacrilege (as it would) negate the very impact of the film" and allowed depicition of nudity as it considered as not obscene. The FCAT ruling was challenged in the Supreme court which upheld FCAT decision and ephasized importance of watching movies in its context, cautioned against applying blanket standards regarding nudity and allowing film-making liberty.
• In December 2000, after Priyanka Chopra was crowned Miss World, beauty contests were banned in her home state of Uttar Pradesh under the orders of then Chief Minister Rajnath Singh as he claimed that beauty contests were against traditional culture and were vulgar.
• In 2007, the TV channel AXN was banned for two months for broadcasting a show called 'World's Sexiest Commercials' after 11 pm. Similarly, Fashion TV and Comedy Central was taken off air, for violating the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 and Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, 1995 by showing obscene and vulgar visuals which were unsuitable for the public and children.
• Lipstick Under My Burkha (2017), an award-winning black comedy film by Alankrita Shrivastava, was initially denied certification, with the CBFC claiming that "The story is lady oriented, their fantasy above life. There are contanious [sic] sexual scenes, abusive words, audio pornography and a bit sensitive touch about one particular section of society". The filmmakers appealed to the board's Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), which authorised its release with some cuts (primarily to sex scenes). Although Shrivastava said she would have preferred no cuts, he expressed that the film's narrative and essence were left intact, and commended the FCAT's handling of the issue.

Other

• Some colleges and universities enforce a dress code on their students, usually restricting girls from wearing Western clothing. The rationale behind such restriction is provided that such clothes "attract eve-teasing".
• Some home owners and related associations, are biased against single tenants and sometimes enforce restrictions such as no late-night entry, no visit by the opposite sex in the residence, no smoking or drinking, and sometimes even prohibit consumption of non-vegetarian food in the residence due to religious views against it.

Protests against moral policing

In 2009, following the 2009 Mangalore pub attack, an organisation called "Consortium of Pubgoing, Loose forward Women" started a movement called the "Pink chaddi campaign". The movement requested people to mail pink underwear to Pramod Muthalik the leader of Sri Ram Sena which was behind the attacks. About 34,000 people participated.

In the state of Kerala, a public hugging and kissing campaign by name 'Kiss of Love' was launched in protest against moral policing on 2 November 2014. Similar events were later organized in Delhi, Kolkata, and various other cities.