The Supreme Court of India has determined that using the term 'bastard' in heated discussions does not qualify as obscenity under Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). This ruling came after the court set aside the conviction of two individuals who had been found guilty by the Madras High Court for using the word during a family property dispute. The bench, consisting of Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Manoj Misra, clarified that for a statement to be deemed obscene, it must contain a sexual or prurient element. They noted that the mere use of the word 'bastard' does not inherently provoke prurient interest, especially given its frequent use in contemporary conversations. The court highlighted that obscenity is not defined within the IPC, and referenced a previous ruling to reinforce that obscenity involves material that incites sexual thoughts rather than language that merely offends or shocks. As a result, the court concluded that the charges under Section 294(b) IPC were not applicable in this case.