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Supreme Court asks Centre, states to ensure ‘two-finger test’ to confirm rape not conducted

The Supreme Court on Monday said it is unfortunate that the practice of the “two-finger test” to examine rape survivors is still prevalent in society, and asked the Centre and the states to ensure it is not conducted.

A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli overturned the decision of the Jharkhand High Court acquitting a rape and murder convict, and upheld the decision of a trial court holding him guilty.

The bench said the decade-old decision of the top court had held the “two-finger test” as a violation of a woman’s dignity and privacy.It issued a slew of directions to the Centre and state government authorities and asked the DGPs and health secretaries of the states to ensure that the “two-finger test” is not conducted.

The top court said any individual conducting the two-finger test would be held guilty of misconduct.