MUMBAI- In the wake of a national outcry over the rising cases ofRapes, the Bombay High on Thursday made a strong observation and said thatIndia’s image has “taken a beating” due to these shameful incidents. Theobservation was made by the division bench of Justice SC Dharmadhikari andJustice Bharati Dangre, which said that an increased perception abroadabout India is that it is a “country of crimes and rapes”.

Besides an impression that “liberal and secular people are not safe”, dueto the prevailing scenario, the rest of world is hesitant to engage withIndia on educational or cultural matters, the division bench observed.

“Anywhere we go, we have to answer a barrage of questions… Unfortunatethat today, the image is such that those living abroad feel only rapes andcrimes take place in India,” the bench said.

“They are under the impression that liberal, open-minded and secular peoplecan’t be safe here and are bound to be attacked. The country’s image issuffering due to acts of a few,” the bench observed.

It said that no international body is keen to be part of “oureducational-cultural projects, and even investors show initial enthusiasmbut pull out later”.

“No institution, including the judiciary in the country, is spared fromthis… We are very sorry to see this… Do we want to live in a cocoon?”the bench asked.

The division bench of the Bombay High Courtlink>madethese candid observations while responding to petitions filed by the kin ofslain rationalists – Narendra Dabholkar on August 20, 2013, in Pune andCommunist stalwart Govind Pansare on February 20, 2015, in Kolhapur -seeking a court-monitored investigation.

The recent rape of a minor, belonging to the nomadic community, in Jammuand Kashmir’s Kathua district and the alleged gang-rape of a teenager inUnnao district of Uttar Pradesh has triggered severe protests across thecountry.