Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) addresses the offense of outraging a woman's modesty. It criminalizes the act of assaulting or using criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage or knowing it's likely to outrage her modesty. This includes actions such as inappropriate touching, disrobing, or making indecent gestures or remarks with the intent to insult a woman's modesty.
Key elements of Section 354:
Assault or criminal force:
The accused must have either assaulted the woman or used criminal force against her.
Intent to outrage modesty:
The primary focus is on the accused's intention. It's not enough that a woman's modesty was outraged; the accused must have intended to outrage her modesty or known it was likely to be outraged by their actions.
Punishment:
The punishment for outraging a woman's modesty under Section 354 is imprisonment for a term of not less than one year, which may extend to five years, and a fine.
Important considerations:
Modesty as a concept:
The law does not explicitly define "modesty." Courts often refer to it as a woman's sense of decency, virtue, and feminine propriety.
Context matters:
The determination of whether a woman's modesty has been outraged depends on the specific circumstances of each case.

Outraging a woman’s modesty under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) refers to any act done by a man that assaults or uses criminal force on a woman with the intention to outrage her modesty. The term "modesty" is not explicitly defined in the IPC, but courts interpret it as relating to a woman’s dignity, decency, and bodily privacy. Common examples include unwanted touching, sexual advances, groping, or lewd gestures or remarks that are physical in nature. The offence is cognizable, non-bailable, and punishable with imprisonment of 1 to 5 years, along with a fine. The key element is the intent or knowledge of the accused that his act would likely outrage the woman’s modesty. This section is a crucial part of India's legal framework for protecting women against physical and sexual harassment.

Section 354 of Indian Penal Code or 74 of BNS 2023 define the Outrage of women Modesty.
It is the act of Assaulting or use of criminal force against the woman with the intent to outrage the modesty of woman.
It can be done by-
- Inappropriate touching
- inappropriate or indecentor or wrong
gestare.
- Disrobe